It looks like Torontonians might be able to pop over to The Windy City by train. The U.S.-based rail transport company Amtrak has released its plans for a passenger train service from Toronto to Chicago, via Detroit. The new route is part of Amtrak’s 2035 Vision, which includes railway expansions throughout the U.S. and north of the border.
The proposed route would connect Toronto to Chicago through the new Michigan Central Terminal, however, there are some infrastructure hurdles to overcome before work can begin, and also a partnership between Amtrak and VIA Rail.
If the proposal goes through, service between Toronto and Chicago would take 9 hours and 57 minutes in total, with several stops in between and one round-trip per day. The plans also mention ramping up service from Buffalo to Toronto via Niagara Falls.
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Amtrak already has an existing Canada-U.S. route called the Maple Leaf. Service departs from Toronto and extends all the way to New York City, with stops in Niagara Falls, Syracuse, and Albany. The trip takes 12 and a half hours total and offers views of the Hudson River Valley, New York’s wine country, and the Finger Lakes gorges.
No timeline has been given for Amtrak’s Toronto-Chicago plans, but it is part of the company’s 15-year mission to connect urban centres and reduce road traffic.
