The Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced that, for the first time in four decades, VIA Rail passenger cars will be built in Canada. The federal government is investing more than $4.7 billion for VIA Rail to acquire and maintain 313 new passenger rail cars from Alstom Canada.
Sure, but if you want actual high-speed passenger rail, the track needs to be straight and level.
The current freight tracks are as level as possible, but to achieve that, they follow the terrain, leading to some very twisty lines that require lower speeds.
Simply twinning those won’t get near as much of an improvement for passenger rail as is needed.