A new train of thought: Could rail service return to P.E.I.?
CBC
This story is from this week's episode of the new CBC podcast Good Question, P.E.I.
Listen here.
Good Question, P.E.I. is available on the CBC Listen app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
There are plenty of reasons to think a new train service on P.E.I. could go off the rails.
The Island doesn't have a commuter population to support it.
It would surely cost a fortune to build.
Islanders get testy when anyone messes with our beloved Confederation Trail on the former tip-to-tip rail line.
And, besides — spuds can travel just fine in the back of Bud's rig.
But are there any reasons why a return to rail on P.E.I. could make sense in Prince Edward Island's future? That's the topic for Episode 10 of our podcast, Good Question, P.E.I.
And it turns out, to our train-loving CBC producer Travis Kingdon's delight, the idea may be gaining steam.
In fact — 55 years after P.E.I.'s last passenger train left the station — the province is exploring the feasibility of a hydrogen-powered train service between Charlottetown and Summerside.
It's part of the government's quest to reduce the Island's carbon emissions.
"We have to look at alternate ways of transportation, so we've talked about trains," said Environment Minister Steven Myers. "I don't think we'll ever see a train again like we used to have ... that went tip-to-tip.
"But if we could use trains in a way to move large volumes of people around, particularly for work, we could reduce cars on the road, and we could reduce our emissions."
