As VIA Rail prepares to launch its new fleet in southwestern Ontario, Sarnia's mayor said the fight for improved service in the city continues.
Mike Bradley recently got a look at the new fleet during a stop in London.
Bradley said the new fleet is very impressive, but access to service still needs improvement.
"The new passenger cars are state-of-the-art, totally accessible, probably the best in the world for people travelling that have accessibility needs," said Bradley. "They're also bigger, much more functional than the old cars. It's a real coup to have VIA have all this new equipment, we just now need to help them get the support they need to be able to move their trains in a timely manner and get people in and out of communities on time.
Bradley said he would like to see the federal government pass legislation that would give equality on the rail tracks between CN and VIA Rail.
"CN has control of the tracks and VIA Rail has to negotiate with them," said Bradley. "That never goes very well, to get access, that's why that one train that comes into Sarnia late in the evening is often half-an-hour, an hour or two hours late, because of freight trains. VIA has no control over the tracks and they need the equality that Amtrak has in the United States, that gives them balance to the use of those rails."
Bradley said he and the local rail group plan to follow up with the federal government and VIA Rail in the coming weeks.
"I think it's a clear choice," he said. "The government has an opportunity here to bring a message that they're environmentally friendly, they support using rail to transport people and I hope we can follow up on that and make a difference."
There is currently one VIA Rail train in and out of Sarnia daily.
In 2015, Via Rail Canada announced plans to expand passenger service to four trains a day in and out of the city by 2016.
