Niagara West – Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak continues to work for Niagara in the drive to bring GO trains to the Region, recently meeting with Bruce McCuaig to discuss the issue.
Hudak met with the President and CEO of Metrolinx last week when the two talked GO Transit expansion in Niagara, why it’s important for the Region, and what Metrolinx has been doing to make the expansion happen.
“I reiterated to Mr. McCuaig why it’s a good thing for the Niagara area, the Province and Metrolinx to expand the GO Train service to the Region,” said Hudak, adding Regional Chair Al Caslin has shown strong leadership on this issue.
“We discussed the complexities and cost of the investment of a GO expansion to the Niagara Region,” said Hudak, “Including the use of CN-owned rail lines and crossing the Welland Canal.
While issues such as rail ownership and crossing the canal have long been touted as hurdles that would be hard to overcome to bring a commuter train service to Niagara, Hudak notes that working with the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority to resolve scheduling issues and forging a fair agreement with CN for the use of their rail lines would make the expansion doable.
“For residents of Niagara, closer access to GO trains would make an incredible difference in their lives,” said Hudak, pointing out having GO service in Niagara would ease the commute for many families, offer more options and take some traffic off QEW. “All of that means more family time, better quality of life and makes Niagara a more attractive place to live.”
While Hudak has long cautioned on the vital imperative of government spending within its means, he says the Liberal government has promised to spend $51 Billion on transit, schools and hospitals, and Niagara should get its fair share of that spending – including the needed GO expansion and the long-promised rebuild of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.