from the National Post. link:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=1794929


VIA Rail service between Montreal and Toronto to get $300M upgrade

National Post Published: Thursday, July 16, 2009


The federal government is expected to formally announce today a $300-million investment to improve passenger rail service between Toronto and Montreal. The financing is part of the increase to VIA Rail Canada's budget as part of the economic action plan announced in the budget. The funds will be used to upgrade sections of the railway between the cities and to lay a third track in certain areas with the goal of increasing passenger train speeds and frequencies and to reduce delays due to freight traffic on route. Canadian National Railway Co. currently owns the lines, but the funding is primarily aimed at improving passenger traffic along the lines, a government spokesman said yesterday. Upon completion, VIA expects to add two more trains trips a day between Montreal and Toronto and to shave 30 minutes off the travel time between the cities.

I'm not sure this topic belongs here. It's not a Toronto infrastructure project, but a provincial/national project.

What kind of upgrade are we talking about?

New tracks.

The Liberals are saying this is a re-announcement from years ago, but this is the first I've heard of it.

Hmm, somebody wake me when they decide to electrify...

^^It's true that real high-speed rail will require electrification.

But it will require tracks first.

But it will require tracks first.

It will require straight tracks.

Problem with the existing corridor is that it has curves every once in a while that require slow speeds to clear.

There's a hydro corridor from Peterborough to Ottawa that, to me, screams for a new high speed rail line. Of the existing track between Peterborough and Scarborough, a lot of it can be straightened with expropriation of (or land swap with) farm land.

There's a hydro corridor from Peterborough to Ottawa that, to me, screams for a new high speed rail line. Of the existing track between Peterborough and Scarborough, a lot of it can be straightened with expropriation of (or land swap with) farm land.

While that screams HSR, would it be economically viable? Are there better ways to go from Toronto->Montreal which are more direct?

Sure a lot of people travel GTA<->Ottawa, but the big money is with Montreal. It would not hurt of course to have Montreal<->Ottawa<->Toronto if there was a ROW which was somewhat available on both ends, and the time difference was acceptable.