Bring Back Train 82 rally planned for Saturday in Brantford

Local politicians are inviting the public to join them on Saturday in an effort to pressure Via Rail and the federal government to reinstate a popular commuter train.

The Bring Back Train 82 rally will be held in the parking lot at the Brantford train station on Saturday at 11:30 am

“Everything we’ve done quietly hasn’t led to results,” said Brantford-Brant MP Larry Brock, who has organized the rally, along with Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis. “We want to get the message to Via Rail that we’re not going to passively sit around. This is affecting hundreds of my constituents. We want to generate a lot of buzz.”

Train 82, which took commuters from Brantford to their Toronto offices before 9 am, was canceled by the Crown corporation during the pandemic, part of a cost-cutting measure as use of rail service plummeted when millions of people began working remotely from home.

The train left London at 6:30 am, stopped in Brantford at 7:30 and arrived at Toronto’s Union Station at 8:30, making it popular for those who commute to Toronto for work.

Davis said not having the train complicates the travel arrangements of many Brantford residents. He said online petitions to reinstate Train 82 have amassed 500 signatures.

The mayor said some people who used to take the train are now driving the Aldershot Go station in Burlington to get to their Toronto jobs. But he said there are often traffic delays on Highway 403 in Ancaster and Hamilton and parking can be scarce at the station.

Davis said earlier the city has builders interested in constructing apartment buildings on the northern section of Market Street, near the train station.

“I expect having a reliable commuter link from the downtown Via Rail station is an important factor in whether those builders decide to proceed with their projects.”

Brock said he has been lobbying for the train’s return for more than a year after receiving hundreds of phone calls and letters from constituents whose travel was derailed.

Brock said he was able to speak with Via Rail’s CEO Martin Landry late last year who told him Train 82 was suspended due to a workforce shortage at Via Rail and efforts to replace an aging fleet.

Brock said he was told the train was profitable and hasn’t been canceled but wasn’t given a timeline as to when it might return.

“It’s important to get our message directly through to Via Rail officials,” said Brock, adding that 300 people have confirmed they will attend Saturday’s rally.

Davis said he’d also like to have a GO Train link established in Brantford but said that would take time, while the Via train “can be reinstated quite quickly.”