Premier Wynne has resurrected the concept of a high-speed inter-city train for Southwestern Ontario. The dream of such rapid rail transport has been shared by generations of Canadians everywhere. The vision comes from David Collenette, a former Liberal MP who was a cabinet member for 20 years until 2003, during which he was Minister of Transport. He is presented probably quite fairly as a transportation expert. Friday at a London news conference Ms. Wynne told of a modern train service from Toronto to Windsor built by private interests at an estimated cost of perhaps $20 billion. Design work is said to actually be in process with a $15-million environmental assessment aimed at trains in revenue service by 2031. The premier talked about the advantages of such a service. It would offer an alternative to Highway 401. The timing of the concept will not be lost on those who watch the calendar for elections. Nor does the geography seem politically accidental. The Ontario Liberals have a large job of repair work in vast areas of the southwest where the march of the hated wind turbine has alienated many.
