Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Trois-Rivières for his question because it give me an opportunity to tell him about the importance of our government's long-term vision for rail transportation across the country.
Our government is exploring the best way to achieve a transportation system that is not only responsive in meeting the needs of our society and economy, but also fluid in its operations and organic in its connections to Canada.
To this end, the government secured important funding in budgets 2016 and 2018 to support an in-depth assessment of VIA Rail's high frequency rail proposal. These funds will help us to better understand not only the viability of the project, but also its potential to support our government's vision for the future.
The proposal for dedicated tracks has the potential to provide Canadian travellers with reliable and more rapid service by allowing VIA to set schedules and frequencies to satisfy the demand for passenger rail service. By reinvigorating its services in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, VIA's proposal also aims to reduce its overall funding requirements from Canadian taxpayers. There is real potential here, but an investment of this magnitude requires careful study.
Just as the people of Trois-Rivières have expressed an interest in VIA's high frequency rail proposal, so have many other Canadians along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Our government shares this interest, given the potential benefits of this project. We will do our part by working collaboratively with key players to ensure that the best information is available to allow for sound investment decisions on VIA's proposal. Our government will carefully consider the high frequency rail proposal as part of determining the best approach to delivering a safe, efficient and reliable passenger service for Canadians.