A proposal from Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada would connect Chicago and Toronto by rail by closing an existing service gap between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
The possible expansion would allow rail service between Chicago and Toronto to begin in 2027, with travel times of just under 10 hours.
The proposal would also connect Toronto and Detroit by rail for the first time since 1967, despite the cities being just 230 miles apart.
In the proposal, service would begin utilizing the Wolverine line that currently connects Chicago to Detroit.
The Wolverine currently includes the following stops that would also be part of the Amtrak and VIA Rail proposal:
- Chicago, Ill.
- Hammond-Whiting, Ind.
- Michigan City, Ind.
- New Buffalo, Mich.
- Niles, Mich.
- Dowagiac, Mich.
- Kalamazoo, Mich.
- Battle Creek, Mich.
- Albion, Mich.
- Jackson, Mich.
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Dearborn, Mich.
- Detroit, Mich.
From there, seven stops would be added in Ontario to help connect the Wolverine service to the existing VIA Rail service operating out of Toronto.
- Windsor-Walkerville, ON
- Chatham, ON
- Glencoe, ON
- London, ON
- Ingersoll, ON
- Woodstock, ON
- Brantford, ON
After the Brantford stop, the line would rejoin with existing VIA Rail service for three more stops.
- Aldershot, ON
- Oakville, ON
- Toronto, ON
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In the even that the proposal is carried out, more frequent service between Chicago and Detroit would also be offered.
Local
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens welcomed the proposal, touting its potential economic benefits while lauding the connectivity the line would provide between three major metropolitan areas.
While the proposal is ironed out with a timeline and visualization of how the line would look, the plan is yet to be funded, providing a significant roadblock for the plan's advancement.
