The image of Michigan Central Station, restored and repurposed as Ford’s new innovation hub, is a powerful symbol of Detroit’s forward momentum. It’s also a painful reminder of a crucial connection we in Canada, particularly Ontario, have allowed to wither: the seamless rail link to the American industrial heartland.
Governor Whitmer’s new train service near Michigan Central shows the results of visionary policy and private investment. For Canadians, it’s a prompt: Why stand still? Overambitious dreams of billion-dollar high-speed rail distract from critical but neglected connections.
The Ghost of a Great Connection (And the Loss of a Living One)
Back in the day, taking a train from Windsor directly to Detroit for a Tigers game was a routine affair—a natural artery connecting two sister cities. That original passenger rail line, along with the necessary Canadian station infrastructure, is gone. The existing rail tunnel under the Detroit River is now exclusively for freight.
Reinstating this cross-border passenger service is the missing key to unlocking genuine economic synergy in the auto corridor. But while the dream of a new rail line persists, we’ve just seen a major step backward: the Mayor of Windsor just CANCELLED the Windsor/Detroit Tunnel Bus, severing a connection that lasted for over 100 years. This action—cutting a functional, century-old link—perfectly illustrates the lack of commitment to cross-border access that holds back any grander project.
The Problem: Cost, Complexity, and Cross-Border Paralysis
Bringing this grand route back faces significant hurdles that go far beyond engineering:
- The Infrastructure Challenge: Rebuilding a rail link between Windsor and Detroit for passenger use in 2025 is likely a multi-billion-dollar project. Considering the spiraling costs of large public works, the price tag for new cross-border tracks, updated customs facilities, and station construction would be astronomical. Yet, this is a price worth paying for a crucial piece of 21st-century North American infrastructure.
- The Border Hurdle: Securing and facilitating passenger transit across the world’s busiest international border is complex. Our two countries often struggle to coordinate on basic, fundamental needs. A successful Detroit-Windsor train requires seamless, efficient, and integrated border security and customs procedures—a challenge that has stalled similar proposals for decades.
The Politics of Isolation: A Canadian Sticking Point
The biggest obstacle to this vital link isn’t a cost analysis or an engineering report; it’s a political and cultural reluctance in Canada to embrace deeper integration with the United States.
There is a significant and long-standing animosity toward the US within certain Canadian political circles. For some, particularly in the federal Liberal establishment, opening the country to easy access from the US is seen as a threat.
This isn’t just about an anti-Trump stance; it’s a desire to keep what is perceived as a “playpen” closed off. Lowering the drawbridge and letting Canadians see a dynamic, vibrant, and highly-connected world outside the narrow vision promoted by Ottawa would be the end of their comfortable political “monarchy.” They fear that opening the border to faster travel and easier commerce would highlight perceived domestic failures and outdated policies.
A Diminishing Vision: High-Speed Rail Along the Corridor
This protective, inward-looking mindset is most clearly demonstrated in Canada’s approach to high-speed rail (HSR).
Instead of prioritizing the most economically impactful route, the Canadian government’s vision for the Windsor/Quebec Corridor keeps shrinking:
- It was once proposed to run from Windsor.
- It then moved east to London.
- Now, the focus is increasingly just on Toronto to Montreal.
This shrinking vision prioritizes a Toronto-Montreal axis—the Liberal heartland—and effectively abandons the Western part of the auto corridor that anchors thousands of manufacturing jobs.
The Transformational Link: Toronto-Detroit
If Canada were serious about protecting its industrial base and boosting its economy, the absolute priority for HSR would be a focus on Toronto to Windsor/Detroit.
- Economic Supercharger: Imagine the auto executives, engineers, and supply chain managers able to travel between Canada’s biggest city (Toronto), the regional assembly hubs (Oakville, Oshawa, Alliston), and the heart of North American automotive innovation (Detroit) in a fraction of the time. This is a massive, immediate win-win for job creation and industrial efficiency.
- The Chicago Gateway: An easy rail link to Detroit isn’t just about Michigan. Detroit is the gateway to Chicago, America’s third-largest city, just five hours further west. Connecting Toronto to Detroit is, functionally, connecting Toronto to the entire Midwest industrial and commercial megalopolis.
The people I talk to in Michigan dream of this link. They see the opportunity for seamless commerce and collaboration. Meanwhile, too many Canadian leaders seem content to cut the vital lines we already have and cling to a narrow, insular view of national development.
To secure Canada’s future and unlock economic growth, we must make the Toronto-Detroit Rail Link a national priority. This requires restoring direct cross-border passenger rail service, coordinating customs and border operations for efficiency, and investing in modern infrastructure. Such action will strengthen our industrial base, create jobs, and connect Canada to North America’s key economic hubs. Now is the time to act and implement these steps.
You might also enjoy:
In the gig economy, even God drives a taxi
A travel journey from Ann Arbor to Detroit unfolds unexpectedly, leading to a transformative conversation with a devout driver. They discuss sports officiating, parental involvement in sports, and the driver’s challenging upbringing. The conversation then turns to religion, and despite differing views, a deep connection is formed. The encounter leaves a lasting impression, symbolized by a gift exchange before embarking on the final leg of the journey to Toronto.
Perry's Pen 
Leave a comment