High speed rail markings spark concerns for rural residents

Residents living in rural areas east of Londonare raising concerns aboutsome bright yellow signs of a high speed rail line cutting through their towns.

• High-speed rail between Toronto and London by 2025, premier says

Kelly Elliot, award councillor in Thames Centre, organized an information session Tuesday for rural residents after she said the Ministry of Transportation painted yellow chevron markings across town. Markings, she figured, that signaledpossible locations for high speed tracks.

"There are some real negative impacts that could happen in the rural communities," said Elliot who saidthat there would be no over or under passes in rural areas to get around the potential tracks.

"People just want those concerns heard that when we start moving on to planning phases that their concerns aren't a hindsight."

• High speed rail in Ontario closer to taking off with new advisory group

A representative from Ontario's Ministry of Transportationsaid in a statement to CBC News that the markings were part of an environmental assessment and no decisions for the route have been made.

"The yellow chevrons are part of aerial photography used for mapping purposes. The chevrons mark known coordinate points on the ground to help position the aerial shots to ensure that the resulting maps are accurate," read the statement.

"They are only to facilitate the aerial photography and serve no other purpose."

The representative added that "the aerial photography is for base mapping between London and Kitchener."

Farms, municipality, cut in half

Elliot said concernsgrew after Premier KathleenWynneannounced the formation of a planning advisory board, made up of high tech and engineering experts to guide the project.

For about three decades, the province discussed building a rail link between Toronto and Windsor, with high speed rail stops across southwestern Ontario, including London.

• Councillor raises concerns over projected high-speed rail hub for downtown London

"There are no crossings for these high speed rail tracks so when it comes to our rural roads, our back gravel roads, without crossings there. It's literally cutting our municipality in half. It's cutting farms in half," said Elliot.

She is hoping that high speed rail officials will attend tonight's meeting, as well aslocal MPPs, to hear from both opponents and proponents.

Elliot understands the potential economic advantages of high speed rail but also said concerns of residentsmust be heard.

The information session was held at the Taylor Auction Barn in Thorndale Ontario.