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Southwestern Ontario Can’t Afford to Wait Any Longer for Passenger Rail
- Kristen Duever -
Southwestern Ontario is growing — quickly. Our population is expanding, our labour market is evolving, and our economy is increasingly interconnected across cities and regions. Yet one critical piece of infrastructure has failed to keep pace with this growth: reliable, frequent passenger rail service.
That’s why the London Chamber of Commerce recently wrote to MPP Ric Bresee, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, to express our support for the City of London’s call for provincial action to advance enhanced passenger rail service in Southwestern Ontario.
This is not a new conversation — but it is one that must finally move from planning to implementation.
For a region that plays such a vital role in Ontario’s economy, passenger rail service remains inconsistent and infrequent. Businesses struggle to attract and retain talent when commuting options are unreliable. Workers face limited access to jobs across the region. Students, families, and seniors encounter barriers to mobility that should not exist in a modern, connected province.
The City of London, alongside municipal partners, has been clear in its ask: the Province of Ontario must advance a dedicated passenger rail corridor connecting Toronto, London, and Windsor, with stops in between. Crucially, this means infrastructure designed for passengers — not rail service constrained by freight priorities.
Dedicated passenger rail would be a game-changer for Southwestern Ontario.
For employers, it would expand access to talent and enable more flexible workforce participation. For workers and students, it would open doors to employment and education opportunities without requiring relocation. For communities, it would support housing choice by making it feasible to live in one city and work or study in another. And for the province as a whole, it would improve productivity, reduce congestion, and support climate goals by shifting trips from cars to rail.
From a business perspective, the case is straightforward: efficient transportation systems are economic infrastructure. They underpin competitiveness, investment attraction, and long-term growth. Jurisdictions that fail to modernize their transportation networks risk falling behind — not just globally, but within Ontario itself.
Importantly, this is not a call for more studies or visioning exercises. Southwestern Ontario has done the planning. What’s needed now is provincial leadership to move forward with implementation and investment.
The London Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the City of London’s advocacy on this issue because it reflects the needs and priorities of our business community. Our members understand that economic growth, workforce mobility, housing affordability, and sustainability are deeply connected — and that transportation is at the centre of all of them.
Enhanced passenger rail is not just a transportation project. It is a strategic investment in people, productivity, and the future of Southwestern Ontario.
The opportunity is clear. The benefits are well understood. Now is the time for the Province to act.
