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Canadians love their cars, and finding ways to break that bond — or at least loosen it — will remain a challenge for many Earth Days to come.

Around the world, transportation is among the fastest-growing contributors to climate change, and though car emissions are only part of the problem, getting more people out of their vehicles is certainly part of the solution.

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Taking the train — especially if it is powered by electricity — is a good way to cut down on pollution.

And yet, in Canada, even in the populous Quebec City-Windsor corridor, where distances are relatively short, train travel has failed to take off as it has in Europe and Asia.Via Rail, the federally funded passenger service based in Montreal, has seen a drop in ridership in recent years.

In an effort to change that, Via has come up with a promising plan: It wants to build dedicated tracks for a new fleet of electrified trains providing frequent service along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Initially, it would link Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.