The federal Liberal Party has adopted the Maritime Rail Corridor plan into their official party policy which would link Saint John to Halifax with passenger rail service.
Member for Moncton-Dieppe, Francisc Giboi, proposed the idea at a policy convention earlier this month and it passed as a non-binding resolution.
These resolutions set party policy but are not binding on the ruling party.
“This proposal is to make the Maritime region more connected and really introduce basic services that people can use without vehicles,” said Giboi.
The plan proposes the start of regional rail service between Saint John and Halifax, which would eventually be extended to Sydney, NS, Fredericton and Prince Edward Island.
Giboi was inspired by his childhood in Romania, where he and his family would take trains across the country.
When they moved to Canada, he said everything changed.
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“My family lost it. We had to take a car. As a new immigrant family, we didn’t have the ability to buy many cars, so that made things very difficult for us,” he said.
Lori Turnbull, a political analyst and Dalhousie University professor, said while the vote is not binding on the Liberal government, the resolution is interesting – especially in the Maritimes, where the population is smaller.
“It has potential [a] a game-changing conversation for economic growth and the future of the region,” Turnbull said.
But he added that it would take more than just political consensus to make the project a reality.
“Political will alone will not be enough, even if it exists. It requires partnerships from private investors or groups of investors,” he said.
A Nova Scotia Department of Public Works spokesperson said the provincial government is encouraged to see this interest and is open to exploring opportunities to coordinate and collaborate.
When asked about the idea, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who is currently in Ottawa to meet with Premier Mark Carney, said she “would like to know more about the idea.”
Meanwhile, Giboi said he had spoken to the federal transport minister, who raised concerns about who would actually operate the rail corridor.
Giboi said he believes the Crown corporation should take the lead.
“Just because we don’t have them now doesn’t mean we’re not losing basic services,” he said.
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