The City of Windsor could formally provide support for an intercity rail connection with the States.
Windsor City Council is expected to endorse a letter of support to the federal transport minister, expressing support for a planned connection between VIA Rail and Amtrak.
There had been talk of a connection for the past few years. In January 2022, Amtrak announced an agreement with the Canadian National (CN) Railway, moving the idea a step closer to reality. According to the report being submitted to Council, a targeted start date of fall 2027 is set.
"This proposal supports the Windsor Works Economic Development Strategy under the pillars of Location and Infrastructure by providing an additional transportation link to Detroit and another powerhouse American city, Chicago," read the report. "Additional infrastructure provides an opportunity to grow the Future Economy and attract talent."
If the project comes to fruition, the major cities of Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago would be connected by the rail network.
A business plan has been submitted by Amtrak and VIA Rail to Transport Canada already, so the report lays out the potential next steps. These include site planning work with the Ford Motor Company and the City of Detroit for a new station at Michigan Central Station, improvements at the Windsor VIA Rail station, and a connecting track behind the old Ford Windsor engine plant.
The stakeholders in the project include U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) since the connection involves an additional border crossing. Also included are the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and M-DOT, their federal counterparts, the City of Windsor, and the City of Detroit.
