June 15th, 2017

GO electrification delay puts RER projects at risk: Statement by Cheri DiNovo, NDP Critic for Urban Transit

Cheri DiNovo, the NDP critic for Urban Transit, issued the following statement:

“Kathleen Wynne has dragged her feet and taken no action on the GO electrification file. By stalling the start of the environmental assessment until it was already a year behind schedule, Kathleen Wynne and her Liberal government have once again put crucial Regional Express Rail projects at risk.

Today’s announcement shows that Liberals prefer to put their political fortunes ahead of the needs of commuters and those who live, work, and go to school near our rail corridors. People have waited too long for the clean, green electrification of our commuter rail network, but Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government prefers to stage distractions and photo-ops instead of getting the job done. 

The environmental assessment, according to the original timeline, was supposed to be completed by fall, 2016, and all those families living along the Union-Pearson Express corridor were promised electrification ‘by 2017.’ I agree with people who now say that they’ll need to elect a new government in order to finally see progress on electrified Regional Express Rail.

Of course, the Conservatives refuse state their position on electrification. After 17 years as a Conservative politician, including nine years in Harper’s government, their leader is a cut-and-privatize politician – not a believer in public services like transit.”