Ontario moving forward with environmental assessment for high speed rail
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Ontario issued a Request for Bids (RFB) today to develop the environmental assessment terms of reference for the Kitchener-Waterloo to London portion of the corridor.
The terms of reference will provide a framework for planning and the environmental assessment, which will look at how all aspects of the project could affect the environment, including how stations are built, track locations, energy requirements, expected ridership, and parking needs.
As high speed rail will be a new service for Ontario and Canada, new train and safety standards will be developed with Transport Canada to inform the environmental assessment process.
Investing in high speed rail is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change.
The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation
The high speed rail line will serve more than seven million people. The proposed stops are Windsor, Chatham, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Toronto Union Station, with a connection to Pearson International Airport. ■