The study looked at Port Burwell and four locations in Ohio. Pt. Burwell is really close to Erie, PA, and relatively far from CLE, making the study irrelevant for CLE. No offense to Lake County, but any ferry service from the Ohio side of the lake should be at the region's core, not out in Lake County, as a CLE location will maximize the likelihood of success and from where southbound cargo can head South/Southeast (Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Pittsburgh) or Southwest (Columbus, Dayton, Cincy...), not to mention pax and cargo destined for Cleveland itself. What makes sense for this service is something immediately across the lake if possible. I don't know Ontario very well, but looking at the map, maybe somewhere near Chatham, Ontario. Not sure where this is in relation to Port Stanley, Cleveland's original 'partner' at the dance, but if the city in Canada (Port Stanley in this case) isn't ready to make a move (I heard there were NIMBY issues), the CLE should aggressively find a new partner and move forward.

The study looked at Port Burwell and four locations in Ohio. Pt. Burwell is really close to Erie, PA, and relatively far from CLE, making the study irrelevant for CLE. No offense to Lake County, but any ferry service from the Ohio side of the lake should be at the region's core, not out in Lake County, as a CLE location will maximize the likelihood of success and from where southbound cargo can head South/Southeast (Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Pittsburgh) or Southwest (Columbus, Dayton, Cincy...), not to mention pax and cargo destined for Cleveland itself. What makes sense for this service is something immediately across the lake if possible. I don't know Ontario very well, but looking at the map, maybe somewhere near Chatham, Ontario. Not sure where this is in relation to Port Stanley, Cleveland's original 'partner' at the dance, but if the city in Canada (Port Stanley in this case) isn't ready to make a move (I heard there were NIMBY issues), the CLE should aggressively find a new partner and move forward.

nooooo, no offense to Lake County taken!  :shoot: (although it would have turned Fairport Harbor into the international destination city that Cleveland can only dream of) What I don't understand is how this project made sense in the first place. Even if the port of Cleveland would have been a more logical point of entry, the fact is there is no corresponding big (or even medium-sized) city on the Canadian side. Hamilton, Ontario, a good-sized industrial city (at least it used to be very industrial) is probably the closest large city, but it's on Lake Ontario (as of course is Toronto and most of the rest of Ontario's economic engine), and miles away from Lake Erie; and there is already the Welland Canal linking the two lakes. In fact, most of Ontario on the Lake Erie shore is practically rural. How would this costly project really benefit anybody in Canada?

3-C and Ferry for Cleveland??  Fingers crossed...

 

Changes in Canada revive hopes for Cleveland-to-Port Stanley, Ontario, ferry service

Published: Monday, September 27, 2010, 10:00 AM

James F. McCarty,The Plain Dealer

 

William Friedman, the new chief executive of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, thinks there are good reasons for that.

 

He said the time has never been better for a cross-lake ferry service. It would be profitable without government subsidies and provide a faster, cheaper and environmentally cleaner way to move cargo on trucks and people in cars between the two countries, Friedman said.

 

U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette of Bainbridge Township agrees and said nearly $7 million in federal government grants remains earmarked for ships and a terminal for the first Northeast Ohio port city that succeeds in nailing down a ferry deal.

 

"I still think it's the way of the future," LaTourette said in an interview last week. "First and foremost, a ferry would provide a boost for the economic competition of the region. It would be great for jobs, especially in the auto-parts industry."

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/changes_in_canada_revive_hopes.html

 

 

Cool! Any idea how long the trip would take?

Article said approximately 3 hours I believe.

 

EDIT:  From the article:  "Theis said it takes truckers six hours or more to drive around Lake Erie to Port Stanley, compared with an estimated three-hour ferry ride."

Four hours for a ferry. Less than two hours for a Jet Express-type boat. A VIA train extended south from London could get you from Port Stanley to downtown Toronto in another 2.5 to 3 hours.

Thanks. I honestly did skim the article for an answer, but I missed it.

Just as a point of reference for driving, in general I can leave Cleveland at 6:00 am, and be in Toronto around 11:30 am. Figure 45 minutes less for Hamilton, another 45 minutes less than that for Buffalo. (with normally only one pit stop)

 

Sometimes there's a long wait at customs, but that may be true no matter where you cross the border.

Or for comparison, with the constant sound of the boat's motors and the gentle rocking across the waves, I could be asleep within 20 minutes after going through Customs and leaving Cleveland's pier. After two hours of catching up on sleep I missed by waking up early to catch the 6 a.m. jet express, I get off at the Port Stanley pier where a 95 mph VIA train is waiting (the tracks still go right on to the pier but need fixing up). Just 15 minutes later, the VIA train scoots north, pausing at London before reversing direction and heading for Hamilton, Oakville and downtown Toronto. During that time, I read through 30 e-mails, responded to 10 of them, read four articles, send five texts and conduct a teleconference over my phone. I also twice beat my previous best scores on Mine Sweeper while having a continental breakfast.

I gave up on beating my best Minesweeper scores. I just got too good at one point, and I don't ever wish to invest so much time in that blasted game again!

Having "new blood" as the chief executive of the Port Authority is going to have a huge effect on making this project happen.  He wasn't here for the past few failed attempts and only sees the potential and possibilities.  Not to mention, he seems like a person people will follow.

 

Lake Erie ferry an unsinkable idea: editorial

Published: Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 3:59 AM

The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

 

 

Will Friedman believes in ferries.

 

And he ain't just whistling pixie.

 

The chief executive of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is testing the waters for a cross-lake ferry that would link Cleveland to picturesque Port Stanley, Ontario.

 

The potential traffic is substantial. Canada is Ohio's top export market, with $14.1 million in Ohio-made goods crossing the border last year. Making it quicker and, in these days of pricey fuel, cheaper for people and trucks to make the trip would be appealing. The availability of a ferry would cut a six-hour-plus drive in half.

 

Friedman has hired a consultant to prepare a $19,500 feasibility study to gauge Canadian support for the service, as well as to identify a potential operator.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/09/lake_erie_ferry_an_unsinkable.html

 

If the ferry takes three hours and then from there a little less then a 3 hour drive to Niagara falls or Toronto what would be the benefit for a person to use it. I would understand trucks and stuff but what would make people want to use it. It only takes 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to Niagara falls and 5 hours to get to Toronto. It could actually be okay for Toronto based on the price but would make no sense for Niagara Falls

I can surf UO while on a Ferry.  Can't do that while driving.  Also, whose to say that Toronto and Niagra are the only places to go in Ontario.

If the ferry takes three hours and then from there a little less then a 3 hour drive to Niagara falls or Toronto what would be the benefit for a person to use it. I would understand trucks and stuff but what would make people want to use it. It only takes 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to Niagara falls and 5 hours to get to Toronto. It could actually be okay for Toronto based on the price but would make no sense for Niagara Falls

 

See the 3C thread for the reasons why this service makes sense even though it may take slightly longer to get somewhere.  The arguments are basically the same.  It's mostly about convenience and traffic avoidance.  There are also destinations in Southeast Ontario other than Toronto and Niagara Falls.  Hard to believe... I know.

The northern coast of Lake Erie could become a tourist spot for Ohioans.  I am not sure on this but I believe that the northern shore is much more sparsely populated than Ohio's shoreline.

If we can do the U.S/Canadian customs inspections at the Cleveland pier, then the travel time between Cleveland and Toronto via jet express and VIA Rail Canada could be less than five hours. That's better than driving.

 

As for what's in Ontario, ever been to Long Point? You can bike or drive out into Lake Erie for miles and miles. I had lunch at a seafood restaurant out in the middle of the lake on this narrow peninsula. It was like being in the Florida Keys.

 

And many of the small towns along the northern shore of Lake Erie remind me of New England, with lots of fishing villages, wooden-built shops on the docks and more. And while we grow grapes along the south shore of Lake Erie, they grow tobacco on the north shore because of the lake's warming influence. It's a very different experience, and yet you can listen to Cleveland radio stations during all of this.

I take back my earlier statement.... I can surf UO while driving if I am stuck in traffic ;)

For Niagara Falls it would be pointless though. But yeah it could work for other cities...especially if a train was involved

Pointless is kind of a strong word for this discussion.  But, yes, if I was going from Cleveland to Niagra Falls, I would probably just drive.  But the Ferry could make some sense for Niagra on the Lake, which is much better than the Falls if you ask me.

Googlemaps says from downtown Cleveland the drive is 3 hours and 33 minutes to Niagara. From Port Stanley it takes 2 hours and 52 minutes to get to Niagara Falls. Its not worth a 3 hour boat ride to save 44 minutes worth of driving. And the trip with boat would take almost 6 hours. Thats why I said it would be pointless. Cause with the hours I saved by driving I could, check my email, go on UO, look at the falls, go out to eat, etc.

I dunno. Sometimes there are rewards to experiencing life without a car wrapped around one's body -- especially on the water, sharing the experience with others, communicating in person, being sociable, being human rather than the extension of a machine.

I love the idea and i hate driving dont get me wrong. I would much rather prefer to take a train or a boat or plane but for Niagara Falls it would not make sense. For other cities in Canada it would make more sense to take the boat but not for Niagara Falls.

I love the idea and i hate driving dont get me wrong. I would much rather prefer to take a train or a boat or plane but for Niagara Falls it would not make sense. For other cities in Canada it would make more sense to take the boat but not for Niagara Falls.

 

Who ever said it was going to be used to get to Niagara Falls anyway? I don't believe it was mentioned in the article and the only mention of Niagara Falls in the last two pages of this thread was you stating that it wouldn't make sense to take it to Niagara Falls.

 

It wouldn't make sense to take the ferry to get to Detroit either. Point made, let's move on.

LaTourette tackles Great Lakes ferry tax

U.S. rep pushing for legislation to help establish ferry service from Ohio to Canada

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

 

By John Arthur Hutchison

[email protected]

 

U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette said he hopes legislation he co-introduced to eliminate the tax on the value of cargo in the Great Lakes could remove a major barrier to establishing ferry service across Lake Erie to Canada from a Northeast Ohio port.

 

The tax is called the Harbor Maintenance Tax, and because of it, ferry proposals are in limbo in Grand River, Cleveland, Ashtabula and Conneaut, said LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township. The Short Sea Shipping Act introduced last week by LaTourette and U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., would carve out a narrow exemption for the Harbor Maintenance Tax for the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System.

 

"The Harbor Maintenance Tax is the main obstacle to establishing a cargo ferry to transport goods to and from Northeast Ohio and Canada," LaTourette said.

 

Read more at: http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/04/19/news/nh3901704.txt

^Then what's going to pay for harbor maintenance???? 

haha, i said the same F@#$ing thing

Most of the tax is collected on the coasts. Basically, they'll be subsidizing Ohio, unless there's an agreement to provide local funding from elsewhere. If I were Steve, I'd just make it an abatement, not a permanent removal, and add a permanent carve-out for the ferry traffic. You want the prospect of revenue down the road, even if "you" are the government.

I really like the new president.

 

Cleveland: Port 'testing waters' for new plan

6:36 PM, Jul 27, 2011  |  comments

Written by Tom Beres

 

 

CLEVELAND -- The Port of Cleveland has launched discussion of a big new plan that would expand its operation and take on new roles.

 

The plan nixes a previous president's plan that would have involved moving the entire port operation to East 55th Street.

 

"That was unrealistic. It was too much money," said Port Authority President Will Friedman.

 

Friedman wants to make a tourist ferry to Ontario a top priority.

 

He believes adoption of the  plan as a certainty would enhance the chances of additional Lakefront development.

 

"This is the time to get started. We think it's a reasonable approach, setting aside relocating, looking at the assets we have , taking on new challenges and making lemonade out of those lemons is a better approach," Friedman said.

 

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/199477/3/Cleveland-Port-testing-waters-for-new-plan

 

Any update on this? Or is MurrayHill's post the most recent development? Was just reading Lake Erie Living where they talk about taking road trips up to Ontario, so it got me thinking about this again.

 

P.S. Just read on London's wiki page that their nickname is "The Forest City"...

I did a drive around Lake Erie in August 2003, and stayed the night in London, ON. It was interesting listening to Cleveland radio stations in the car and watching Cleveland television stations on the hotel's cable TV system.

 

But what made it abundantly clear that I wasn't in Ohio is that my 20th-floor hotel room overlooked the main railroad line where six daily passenger trains travel to/from Sarnia, Windsor and Toronto. Today, that number has increased to eight daily trains with top speeds of 100 mph in places.

 

Now what I would do if I were Canada's prime minister.....

 

+ I would start the Cleveland-to-Port Stanley ferry AND a high-speed passenger boat that can cross the lake in 90 minutes;

+ I would rebuild the London-to-Port Stanley tracks for 80-100 mph passenger rail operation and extend VIA Rail Canada services onto the dock-site station at Port Stanley.

+ That could produce travel times of 4 to 4.5 hours between Cleveland and Toronto if the customs inspections can be done on the dock at Cleveland.

 

Here's a link to a schedule a developed about five years ago.....

http://freepdfhosting.com/b16d580b79.pdf

 

 

Ferry routes many years ago......

 

 

 

 

 

The docks area at Port Stanley, ON in 2003......

 

 

And connect to the 100 mph trains that travel between Windsor - Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal - Quebec City:

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Toronto!

Are... are those pictures of London, ON!?

 

Is 90 minutes what they believe it would take? Sounds like it would might be a shorter commute to Toronto than driving if you could go from ferry to high-speed train. Regardless, I want this... now :).

 

Is there any update? I thought I read a Crains Cleveland that said it was in the works, but I can't remember...

Are... are those pictures of London, ON!?

 

I've posted no pictures of London, ON.

 

Is 90 minutes what they believe it would take? Sounds like it would might be a shorter commute to Toronto than driving if you could go from ferry to high-speed train. Regardless, I want this... now :).

 

The proposed ferry would be a large, lumbering boat that is big enough to carry full-size trucks. So it would take four hours to cross the lake. But I'm also suggesting that a high-speed passenger-only boat be operated at 50-60 knots so it could cross the lake in about 90 minutes and have timed connections with VIA Rail Canada services extended south from London to Port Stanley.

 

Is there any update? I thought I read a Crains Cleveland that said it was in the works, but I can't remember...

 

Just what you read here at UO. Just about everything on the proposed ferry service is posted here.

Not a huge update, but nice to see public support and the port authority bringing it up again.

 

Cleveland resident Bill Callahan lauded the port's proposal to explore ferry service to Canada as a way to enliven local businesses.

 

"People here don't realize we can do business with London, Ontario, a city of 350,000 people with manufacturing jobs," Callahan said. "It's an unexploited business opportunity, and it's only 105 miles from here to London. If we had that kind of city here in Ohio, we'd have built a six-lane highway immediately to get there."

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/09/public_lauds_cleveland-cuyahog.html

More talk and discussion: 

 

Change of attitude in Canada revives hopes for cross-lake ferry service

Published: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 7:37 AM   

Regina Garcia Cano, The Plain Dealer

 

The Queen Mary it won't be, but passenger service may finally cross Lake Erie from Cleveland to Canada, possibly by 2013.

 

Authorities on both sides of the border are again talking about ferry service that would dock somewhere near Cleveland Browns Stadium and go back and forth to Port Stanley, Ontario. The idea for a ferry dates back many years.

 

A hurdle that hindered a deal in the past is gone. The city of Central Elgin now owns Port Stanley. The Canadian government transferred the port to the local authorities in late 2010. Before that, the federal government on that side of the border had refused to consent to a transnational agreement to allow for a shuttle.

 

On the American side, nearly $7 million in federal government grants remain earmarked for ships and a terminal for the first Northeast Ohio port city that nails down a ferry deal.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/post_553.html

I sincerely hope so.  But the length of time that this has dragged on has made me both impatient and skeptical that this will come to fruition.  :?

 

And maybe with the ferry terminal there we can finally develop that land just north of the Browns Stadium!  Or maybe I'm just dreaming here...

Salisbury steak??

 

Passenger ferry route between Cleveland and Ontario likely

By Jordana Divon | Daily Brew – 3 hours ago

 

Ontarians with a hankering for Salisbury steak may soon find it easier than ever to satisfy their craving.

 

Officials from Cleveland and nearby Port Stanley, Ont. are discussing a passenger ferry that would carry tourists and a select number of trucks across the Lake Erie divide as early as next year.

 

As Ohio's Plain Dealer reports, the two-year pilot project would focus on transporting people and cars in a bid to increase tourism in both areas.

 

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/passenger-route-between-cleveland-ontario-ferry-likely-205806289.html

Port Stanley, Ontario did not want big trucks full of auto parts making a commotion all day, so the ferry project is changing to tourist traffic.  Is that still viable? 

 

Canadian comments:

I can see this, I like Cleveland, Shaker square is quite nice, but no offense to Rochester, I couldn't find a reason to go there. 

•  Toronto, Ontario  • 

The ferrry between Toronto and Rochester failed due to a lack of business but maybe there's more to see in Cleveland.

•  Maidenhead, United Kingdom  •

I would definately use this service. It would save me lots of time driving to Youngstown, OH. Please make this a reality!

Ontarians with a hankering for Salisbury steak may soon find it easier than ever to satisfy their craving.

 

 

Yeah, that's bizarre.

 

I have a question.....

 

If the city of Cleveland is pursuing an $80 million+ all-weather pedestrian link from North Coast Harbor to the Medical Mart/Convention Center, which presumably will get pedestrians into the guts of downtown, then why is the ferry terminal still being considered for the foot of West Third Street? What would it connect to? What could it connect to?

 

A ferry terminal located between the Science Center and Rock Hall puts you at the doorway to the pedestrian link, which then takes you to the Waterfront Line station (which will likely go back to daily operation when Flats East Bank and the MM/CC open next year) and to the Amtrak station.

 

And then there's my idea of taking the city's proposed parking garage between the tracks and Shoreway and inserting a transportation center into its lower levels. A ferry link to/from Canada turns this into a total transportation center, with bus and rail links into the U.S. interior....

 

 

 

 

 

^ it may depend on the size of the ferry.  Between the Mather, the transient marina that is to go in and the bridge connecting the Voinovich Park there might not be room for the ferry to make the needed maneuvers.  Now if the Mather was moved to the other side of the pier then I think that spot would be perfect for a terminal.

^ it may depend on the size of the ferry.  Between the Mather, the transient marina that is to go in and the bridge connecting the Voinovich Park there might not be room for the ferry to make the needed maneuvers.  Now if the Mather was moved to the other side of the pier then I think that spot would be perfect for a terminal.

 

Good points, especially your last sentence. I think I recall seeing a planned covered walkway between the Science Center parking garage and the boardwalk in some renderings from the city or perhaps it was from the Browns.

 

BTW, I think the ferry is supposed to carry cars too, so the current Mather site would be better than the spot between the Rock Hall and Science Center.

Cleveland has the best Salisbury steak!!!

I really hope this comes through. I make numerous trips to North Ontario every year.  In the summer this ferry could make the trip a bit more interesting.  I wish it was both commercial and tourist though. I think it would be significantly more likely to survive if so.

More mention in the PD:

 

Canada ferry redux seems to have greater potential: editorial

Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012, 7:24 PM

The Plain Dealer Editorial Board By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

 

The concept floats our boat: A ferry service between Cleveland and Port Stanley, Ontario.

 

It's a smart idea that has been treading water for years, largely because of opposition from Port Stanley residents, who worried about the impact on their small, scenic harbor if it were dredged to handle big truck ferries.

 

But now that local officials have taken control of the Port Stanley harbor, they're interested -- as long as the project starts small and doesn't involve dredging. Even with that restriction, a ferry is still an intriguing idea.

 

Now officials at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and the municipality of Central Elgin, which includes Port Stanley, have selected Indiana-based HMS Global Maritime to determine the feasibility of ferrying people, cars and a limited number of trucks between the home of rock 'n' roll and the home of the world's largest perch.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/canada_ferry_redux_seems_to_ha.html

very punny

Not sure about this.  The date of the article is 8/9/13.  But it says ferry service could begin as early as 2013 but the article refers to next year.  I think they meant 2014, or the date of the article is wrong:

 

Passenger ferry service discussion gains steam in NE Ohio

 

There is renewed discussion that Northeast Ohio could be the home for passenger ferry service across Lake Erie and into Canada.

 

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is in discussion with officials in Port Stanley, Ontario, and the likelihood of the service is a greater possibility -- as quickly as 2013 -- after the Canadian federal government recently gave that community control of the port.

 

"At this stage, we are working to get a business and operating plan done, which would put us in position to then look at where the funding could come from and be able to pin down the role that the public sector would play versus a private operator and how that could be a partnership and what that would look like," said Will Friedman, president and CEO of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.

 

He said the service would be mostly designed for both walk-on passengers and people who desired to bring along a vehicle...

 

Read full article at: http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20120130/passenger-ferry-service-discussion-gains-steam-in-ne-ohio

Based on the URL, it looks like the article is from January 2012.

 

Its too bad. A trans-Erie ferry would be a great economic stimulus to CLE--even if its just people and cars (and not trucks like originally conceived).

 

 

Based on the URL, it looks like the article is from January 2012.

 

Its too bad. A trans-Erie ferry would be a great economic stimulus to CLE--even if its just people and cars (and not trucks like originally conceived).

 

Why would a trans-Erie ferry be an economic stimulus to CLE, or to Canada either one? I just don't see people riding back and forth on a Great Lakes Ferry to be a major economic stimulus. Now people working for the port authority in Cleveland are naturally going to be behind a ferry. Ferry boat, lake, etc, that is what a port authority is all about. But who says that is the best or even a reasonable deal for the City of Cleveland?

Why would a trans-Erie ferry be an economic stimulus to CLE, or to Canada either one? I just don't see people riding back and forth on a Great Lakes Ferry to be a major economic stimulus. Now people working for the port authority in Cleveland are naturally going to be behind a ferry. Ferry boat, lake, etc, that is what a port authority is all about. But who says that is the best or even a reasonable deal for the City of Cleveland?

 

Do you know what's on the other side of Lake Erie? I'll give you a hint: it's measured in the billions.

 

Answer.... Ohio-Ontario trade, which isn't limited to tourism. It also includes truck traffic which, for many Ohio and Ontario cities, is faster via a cross-lake ferry.

 

Here's a nice little summary of what goes on between Ohio and Ontario.......

 

Canada is Ohio's top foreign economic and political partner.  Nearly half of Ohio's exports go to Canada.  Canadian foreign direct investment in Ohio and exports to Canada sustain thousands of Ohio Businesses and their employees.  Ohio and Ontario share an international border, necessitating a coordinated approach between state, provincial, and federal entities regarding immigration, customs, security, and other border matters.  In 2006 over 500,000 Canadian tourists visited the buckeye state, spending over $100,000 million.

http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/as/page37163.html

News-Herald:

"It would be targeted toward both segments of the market, tourism, recreational use and some business use for individuals who need to go back and forth," Friedman said.  There would be less emphasis on heavy trucks, although there is still some interest in servicing that market, he said.

Ten years ago I stayed in a high-rise hotel overlooking the London, ONT train station while watching Cleveland TV stations on cable TV and listening to Cleveland radio stations in my car as I drove 20 miles south to Port Stanley, only 80 miles across the water from Cleveland.

 

So now Ontario's new budget includes funding for 115 mph (185 km/h) trains with a new line designed for up to 200 mph planned to come within 100 miles of Ohio. Only a "Jet Express"-type ferry service and a rebuilding of an old interurban line separates Cleveland from a 3-hour trip to downtown Toronto!

 

Friday, May 02, 2014

Ontario government backs Toronto - London HSL

Written by  Kevin Smith

 

ONTARIO's minister for transport and infrastructure Mr Glen Murray says the provincial government plans to develop a 185km high-speed service between Toronto, Waterloo, Kitchener and London, with a four-year environmental impact assessment and design studies for the project expected to begin this autumn.

 

The project has an estimated cost of $C 2-3bn ($US 1.81-2.72bn) and is part of the Ontario government's $C 29bn transit and infrastructure plan, Moving Ontario Forward, details of which were announced by premier Ms Kathleen Wynne last month and outlined further in Ontario's budget issued on May 1. The line is expected to accommodate speeds of 300-400km/h and offer a journey time of 1h 11min. Design and environmental impact studies are expected to take four years, with construction taking a further four years to complete.

 

A pre-feasibility study for the line was completed for the Ontario government by consultant First Class Partnerships (FCP), and FCP partner Mr Michael Schabas told IRJ that the project has a very strong business case which convinced the government to proceed.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/ontario-government-backs-toronto-london-hsl.html?channel=542