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Background info for those who may not know what's going on...

As you may know, the province/Metrolinx has a plan in the works to build a rail service linking Union Station to Pearson Airport. (This is NOT the same as the Eglinton LRT - this is a plan to use the Georgetown GO tracks on the west side of the city.)

This would be a fantastic plan, except… they're planning to build it using DIESEL - which is last century's dirty polluting technology!

This is wrong for so many reasons, including:

  • We should NOT be adding new diesel trains to urban residential environments (New York City banned this over a hundred years ago). Diesel train engines are much more polluting than diesel trucks and buses!
  • Diesel trains, being heavier, and therefore slower to stop and accelerate, do not allow for as many stops along the route, meaning this is a waste of a $1.3 Billion public budget on a service for only a few travellers who need to go between Union and Pearson!
  • Diesel technology is costlier to maintain and will cost the public more in the long run - and that's without possible fuel price shocks or the hidden health costs of increased asthma rates, cardiovascular attacks, and other pulmonary illnesses that will be caused by the increased smog.
  • Their plan to build electric in 10-15 years - if it ever even materializes - would waste money to build twice than if we just build it right the first time!

IMMEDIATE ELECTRIFICATION of this line is the way to go for these reasons, among others:

  • No local pollution effects and reduced overall pollution load in Toronto region than diesel alternative because lighter electric trains use LESS energy overall to provide a higher volume of service
  • Electric propulsion allows for a possible future local and express service, providing smart and progressive transit options to all neighbourhoods along the corridor, with possible new stops including King @ Dufferin, Queen @ Gladstone, Dundas @ Lansdowne, Junction and Junction Triangle, Mount Dennis, Weston, etc.
  • Electric technology will cost approximately one third more of the budget to implement now but will save millions (possibly even billions) of dollars within the next two decades!
  • Electric trains make less noise, so would not require the 26-foot wall they're planning on building along the tracks!

Please feel free to email me or info@cleantrain.ca if you have any further questions or want to help!

And spread the word. The more people know, the more clout we have with our government. To stay up to date, sign up for the CTC newsletter at www.cleantrain.ca.


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