10 July 2008
MP, CP Rail Officials Discuss Passenger Rail
Onboard the Royal Canadian Pacific - Peterborough MP Dean
Del Mastro spent a day with CP Rail executives Monday.
No decisions were made, but both sides reaffirmed a commitment to continue to work together on passenger rail service connecting
Toronto and Peterborough, Del Mastro said.
"It's something they are interested in working with the federal government on," Del Mastro said.
"I wanted to update them on the developments and some of the opportunities that I see for the line."
CP, which owns the line, has previously committed to pay a portion of the estimated $88 million in upgrades to the rail bed, rails,
and railway crossings required to restore the passenger rail service. Del Mastro met with CP executives as the federal rail caucus
chairman.
"We discussed issues surrounding rail in Canada, predominantly freight because that's the business CP is in, he said.
"There certainly are a number of tremendous opportunities and a renaissance in the rail industry, but also some challenges,"
Del Mastro said.
"We wanted to show our support for a key mode of transportation for our economy."
Rail is also a way to improve our environmental performance and rail can help us improve our transportation, Del Mastro said.
The meeting was held while travelling between Calgary and Edmonton on the Royal Canadian Pacific passenger train built in the
1920s.
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