CTV News - Kitchener - Part of the proposed high-speed rail line along the Highway 401 corridor will undergo a sped-up environmental assessment process. Environmental assessments are mandatory for public infrastructure projects in Ontario. They often take years. When it comes to the province’s high-speed rail line, though, part of the assessment could be done in as little as six months. Transportation Minister Kathryn McGarry says the high-speed rail line will use existing rail tracks between Toronto and Waterloo Region, allowing for an expedited planning process. That won’t be the case past Waterloo Region, as at least part of the London portion of the route will require new tracks being laid over what is currently farmland. McGarry says the difference in EA processes won’t stop the line from being ready to run by 2025 with stops at Union Station in Toronto, Pearson International Airport, Guelph Central Station, the new transit hub in Kitchener and in London. An extension ...