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“This is the homework in front of us during the coming months and we’re going to do it very seriously,” Garneau told reporters Wednesday.

Asked about Via’s report, Garneau wouldn’t say if he agrees with the Crown corporation’s dire assessment.

“It is a plan that proposes a dedicated line, which addresses some of the issues related to the fact that Via Rail’s on-time record has fallen. It is also something that would allow them a greater degree of control, and the possibility of increasing the frequency of trains, hopefully from their point of view to cause more people to leave their cars behind and take the trains,” Garneau said.

“It’s an interesting proposal. We put money into the budget (to study Via’s plan) because we feel it’s worth looking at very, very seriously.”

Via is proposing a $4-billion plan that would see it tap large pension funds for $2 billion to build its own tracks in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor. It’s hoping construction on the track could begin in 2017 and be operational by fall 2019.

Via owns only three per cent of the track it uses and largely relies on Canadian National Railway freight track for its passenger rail services in the corridor. Via trains are regularly delayed on CN tracks by freight traffic that is given priority.

“In general, the service provided to Via Rail by the host railways has been deteriorating and represents a large current burden and risk to Via Rail’s survival,” the corporate plan says.