WHEREAS Canadians deserve access to reliable and efficient passenger rail service; and
WHEREAS in 2021 the Canadian Minister of Transportation announced that the federal government would be pursuing opportunities to enhance passenger rail services in southwestern Ontario; and
WHEREAS passengers continue to experience long delays and disruptions to service, related to interruptions caused by CN Rail’s freight systems and refusal to give priority to passenger rail service; and
WHEREAS Metrolinx and VIA, in extending or improving commuter train service from Aldershot through to Brantford, Woodstock, Ingersoll and London, is reliant on access to CN rail lines; and
WHEREAS CN Rail views increased passenger rail service on its lines as being incompatible with its primary business of moving freight and is unlikely to cooperate in extending commuter rail service on its lines in southwestern Ontario without direction from the federal government; and
WHEREAS CN Rail has shown a disregard for Municipal property maintenance standards in respect to the maintenance of their rail lines and blocks municipalities attempts to enforce municipal property standards upon their rail lines; and
WHEREAS CN Rail’s consistent failure to provide a timely response to development applications adjacent to rail right of ways imposes inordinate delays and expense for builders and municipalities, further jeopardizing the ability of municipalities to address the housing crisis; and
WHEREAS there is a complete lack of federal regulations providing VIA and Metrolinx with any degree of priority or guaranteed access to rail rights of way or directing CN Rail to work cooperatively with municipalities;
AND WHEREAS The City of Brantford CALLS UPON the Federal Government to assist other levels of government as they take steps address the need for reliable and accessible public rail transit, timely processing of housing developments and the prompt and equitable enforcement of municipal property standards;
NOW THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BRANTFORD requests
- THAT the Federal Government enact the necessary legislative and regulatory provisions:
- providing VIA and Metrolinx with priority right of way over freight rail lines, and further;
- directing CN Rail to work positively and cooperatively with municipal and provincial governments in the processing of land development applications, and the prompt and timely enforcement of municipal property standards;
- THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all Ontario Municipalities; and to the Member of Provincial Parliament Will Bouma, Member of Parliament Larry Brock, Federal Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez, Provincial Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, President and CEO at Metrolinx, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail Canada Inc and President and Chief Executive Officer of CN.