High-speed rail illusions - Feb. 3

Yes, we do need high-speed rail.

When I read Tom Fitzsimmons letter against high-speed rail and how he writes that "if our politicians were serious about improving rail service in the Kitchener area they should look at having some dialogue with the folks at GO Transit which sends two trains to Toronto and back with about 100 people on board," I have to wonder just how much he really knows about the situation.

We currently have four GO trains to and from Toronto every weekday, not two as Fitzsimmons says. A lot of people want more, but the reason we don't have it is not because of a lack of political will, it's because of CN Rail. The GO line to Kitchener shares a track with freight trains and CN only allows GO to use a limited number of time slots and prioritizes their freight over GO trains. The only way to increase service is to build a freight bypass for CN so the line can be dedicated to passenger rail, and the Ontario government is currently negotiating that.

I also have to laugh when he writes about "excellent highways and expanded airline coverage" and further wonder if he uses either of them. With the 401, what should only be an hour long drive into Toronto is a two-hour commute because of how congested North America's busiest highway is, and it's not like you can do anything else during that wasted time. Wouldn't you prefer that only take 30 to 45 minutes?

As for airplanes, sure, they may be fast, but you have four or five hours extra time, what with security, waiting for bags, or driving to and from an airport an hour away, that you wouldn't have with high-speed rail. Timewise, trips via high-speed rail would be shorter even for more than 1,000 kilometres away.

Clearly high-speed rail is more than just a "one trick pony," and I think Fitzsimmons could stand to educate himself better on this subject.

Cory Albrecht

Kitchener