Adam Prudhomme
Editor
New Democratic Party transportation critic MP Taylor Bachrach has sponsored a petition calling on the federal government to take action to restore Via Train 651.
The commuter line has been a much talked about subject in communities such as Napanee, as it provided early morning access to downtown Toronto on a weekday basis. The route, which ran between Kingston to Union Station, was halted during the pandemic as people were relegated to working from home. Though stay at home orders have long since been lifted, Train 651 is still yet to resume service, much to the dismay of riders who utilized it pre-pandemic.
On a broader note, Bachrach’s petition seeks to spur the government to revise the High Frequency Rail, which would protect Via Rail’s role in delivering public passenger rail service along the Windsor to Quebec City corridor. Other points in the petition call for the government to incorporate the Rail Passenger Priority Act and the Via Rail Canada Act, to commit to funding necessary to renew Via Rail’s long-distance fleet and to provide passenger and worker representation on Via Rail’s board of directors.
A link to the petition can be found at https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4754
Bachrach is MP of BC’s Skeena-Bulkley valley riding.