Governments announce millions in funding for Huron Central Railway

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra was in Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday to announce funding for improvements to the Huron Central Railway.

The rail line runs between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury and is seen as a critical transportation corridor for local industry.

Alghabra announced $10.5 million for the rehabilitation of the rail line. Combined with matching contributions from the province and railway operator Genesee & Wyoming Canada, a total of $31.5 million is going toward the project.

“This particular project has a significant public policy benefit to the region (and) to businesses around it,” said Alghabra.

Sault Ste. Marie’s federal and provincial representatives said the funding will benefit local industry.

“It serves a lot of great industries, great industries that the federal government has already invested in,” said Liberal MP Terry Sheehan.

“You take a look at Algoma Steel, for instance, they run a lot of their product along this line.”

“This is integral infrastructure in northern Ontario that our government and the federal government have seen fit to provide additional contributions financially towards to maintain that viability of those lines for years to come,” said Progressive Conservative MPP Ross Romano.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said investment in rail will have economic and environmental benefits.

“If the Huron Central line stopped running, we’d have an additional 40,000 trucks a year on municipal roads and on our highways,” said Shoemaker.

Genesee & Wyoming Canada president Rick McLellan concurs.

“As you may or may not know, one 100-car train takes 300 trucks off the highways,” said McLellan, who also points out that rail is a considerably cheaper form of transportation when compared to trucks.

Work on the Huron Central Railway is expected to begin sometime this year.