Nova Scotia government reviewing Sydney commuter rail study

Nova Scotia's deputy minister of public works says government officials are reviewing a report on commuter rail in Cape Breton to determine what track to take.

Paul LaFleche told members of the legislature's public accounts committee on Wednesday that a draft version of the study was delivered to the province earlier this week.

"It's a significant study," LaFleche told MLAs, stressing that the focus is commuter rail in the Sydney area.

"From Sydney to maybe Glace Bay or maybe as far as the airport or [Cape Breton University]," he said. "And it's every day commuter rush hour rail."

LaFleche said Sydney has "significant parameters, which are different than one would find in other areas of the province, which are conducive to maybe success and they're putting forward their case."

He did not elaborate on what those factors are.

Possible funding sources

Staff with Link Nova Scotia, the recently created provincewide entity that oversees all things transit related, will evaluate the study and report back with their thoughts, LaFleche told reporters following the meeting.

The deputy minister said commuter rail in Canada is usually funded in a partnership that includes all three levels of government. He said that's most likely what would happen if the project were to go ahead.

The provincial government gave CBU $610,000 last year for the feasibility study, which was led by Cape Breton-based engineer Dan MacDonald. That work included detailed engineering on existing infrastructure that could be used as part of the project.

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