A proposal for a Via Rail high-frequency passenger train service between Quebec City and Toronto, which would make a stop in Peterborough, is a high priority for the federal transport minister - and Via is happy about it.

On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released ministerial mandate letters.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau is asked in his letter to work with Infrastructure Minister Fran�ois-Philippe Champagne to make the new passenger rail service a reality.

Via Rail issued a press release about it Monday, stating that the corporation is "delighted" that the prime minister sees this project as important.

Cynthia Garneau, the president and CEO of Via Rail, stated that this "complex and ambitious" project aims to help her corporation boost Canada to greater prosperity and environmental sustainability.

"The Via Rail team will continue to work with energy and enthusiasm - as we have over the last years - to complete this project efficiently and successfully," she stated.

Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef has also been championing the project for several years.

On Friday, the Peterborough-Kawartha MP wrote in a statement that she too was "pleased" Garneau was mandated to work toward this rail project.

Via Rail's proposal is to create a high-frequency passenger rail service along a corridor from Toronto to Quebec City along dedicated tracks.

That means passenger trains won't have to yield to freight trains along shared tracks, which is expected to reduce commuter travel time by 25 per cent.

The rail project is expected to cost $4 billion, the Canadian Press has reported, and Via Rail is exploring ways to have a private investor pick up some of the costs of building dedicated passenger-rail tracks and buying new trains.

In June, Monsef announced $71.1 million in federal funding to study the plan.

Some of that money - $16.1 million - is coming from Transport Canada, while the remaining $55 million is coming from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The funding is part of its mandate to "de-risk" projects at an early stage to draw in private backers when real construction work gets underway, CP reported.

There's also engineering work to be done before the plan can be presented to Trudeau's cabinet for approval.

In November, the Globe and Mail reported that Canada Infrastructure Bank and Via Rail were looking to hire a team of engineers by Dec. 19 to do that work by March 31, 2021.

The Globe also reported that one of the first tasks of this engineering team will be to determine the final route by March 31, 2020.

That work will include details on stations in Peterborough, Montreal and Toronto, the Globe reported.

It's still unclear where a new Via Rail station would be located in Peterborough or whether there would be any additional passenger stops in the area such as Havelock.

Via Rail is looking to create routes along discontinued and lesser-used tracks between Havelock and Ottawa to connect to Peterborough and other cities such as Smiths Falls.

A transportation advocacy group said the risks for the project are lower now that Via Rail has focused on existing corridors and rights-of-way, the Canadian Press reported, meaning work could be done by 2022.

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joelle.kovach

@peterboroughdaily.com