Three of the goals posted - …

Three of the goals posted - 'enabling economic opportunities; preparing for the future; and maintaining a sustainable transportation system', are paramount to seeing a reliable freight railway operates between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie ( cuŕrent Huron Central). Throwing money at their (HCR) situation is not the best solution. Regardless whether the track is re-habbed, it is the need to increase traffic volumes that is required. This company has stated in the past that there are not enough revenues/profit from the present volumes to sustain ongoing needs.

There are 4 shortline railways operating in the northeast - Ontario Northland (ONR), Ottawa Valley (OVR), Huron Central (HCR), and CN's Algoma Central div. (ACR). There should be only one, preferably the ONR which could compete with trucks for local haulage of scrap metals, woodwaste and logs. Each day, dozens upon dozens of truckloads of these products are received at plants in Sault Ste. Marie and Espanola from all areas of the northeast. Single line service could compete with trucking rates especially since rail cars can handle twice the payload of trucks. Also, with single line service, interswitching costs would be eliminated at the Sault and Hearst making additional rail movements possible.

This is the only scenario for increasing traffic volumes. The HCR has not been able to generate new movements over their current customers. There is, with this single line proposal the potential to add passenger rail service as well.