Two local city councillors are frustrated that Windsor wasn't included in the federal government's announcement of a high-speed rail corridor connecting Toronto to Quebec City.
There would be stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino and ward 9 councillor Kieran McKenzie are both speaking out with their disappointment that Windsor was not included in this corridor.
Meanwhile, Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk says Windsor will eventually be included in the next phase of the rail.
Agostino says it was disappointing to see.
"Certainly that corridor from Windsor to Quebec would be absolutely incredible for high-speed rail, and the conversations have been happening for years, and years, and years now. So, I was a little thrown off when I saw that the announcement was made and we seemed to be left out of the conversations, which is disappointing."
The ward 3 councillor adds that the community wants to be included.
"Not to mention someone is literally, over the last few months, has been putting stickers all over downtown Windsor, all over the entire city, advocating for high-speed rail. So, to see an announcement made with us not being part of it, it set me back for sure."
McKenzie says there would be a stronger benefit to run the rail from Chicago, Illinois to Quebec City.
"In terms of the pure finances of it, Chicago to Toronto with Windsor as the sort of middle portion of that run, of that rail run, would by far be the most lucrative, and the stretch of high-speed rail, that would make the most sense for both the United States and Canada if we could get on the same page."
He says Windsor's underground rail tunnel, which runs on the west side of the city near Crawford Avenue, is still in service and has the potential to be used for this project.
"There's freight rail that is running through that tunnel today, as we speak," says Kieran McKenzie. "What would need to happen is support for a project to build a new tunnel so that we could go back to potentially negotiate a deal to acquire the existing rail tunnel which has more than enough spatial capacity to accommodate passenger rail."
Kusmierczyk says this was always intended to be done in phases - with Windsor being included.
"First stage being Toronto to Quebec, second stage being Windsor to Toronto, and this is the largest infrastructure project in Canadian history."
The MP says it's a large project that's going to take time.
"Just that first stage, Toronto to Quebec, you're looking at 1,000 kilometres of rail, which we do not own. That's been the biggest hurdle is it's owned by the freight carriers like CN and CP."
Kieran McKenzie says at the next meeting of city council, he will ask that the city correspond with the federal government to revisit the plan and include Windsor.
Kusmierczyk says the federal government is putting forward $4-billion for the design phase, purchasing of land and other matters, which will take approximately four years. He adds this is 100 per cent going to happen.
The first phase of the high-speed rail is not expected to see movement until the 2030s.
-with files from AM800's Mornings with Mike and Mike