NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB.com) - Cataract city leaders talked about the future of high-speed rail Friday morning. The talk at the Falls Conference Center featured plans for a proposed inter-modal railway transportation center on Whirlpool Street. Ground was broken on the center earlier this year. With Ohio and Wisconsin rejecting their high-speed rail funding, New York could set its sights higher. Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster said, "Perhaps most exciting of all, it gives us an opportunity to play a leading role in development of a high-speed rail system that is going to connect New York City to Toronto, one of the most exciting developments in transportation in all of North America over the next decade." Mayor Dyster says the transportation center is already spurring development in the north end area of the Falls.

The City of Niagara Falls U.S.A received funding for a new railway station. Mayor Paul Dyster is calling the $16.5 million grant coming from Washington, DC the missing link to a $44-million project. Read the article here . Sadly the "International" theme to the railway station faces one significant problem; a Canadian government with no plans for passenger rail renewal in this country as outlined in our Part 3 of our series on highspeed rail in Canada.