The City of Ottawa is stuck with a costly rail system. It must figure out how to minimize the growing financial hole this is causing.

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The launch of Ottawa’s long-delayed southern rail lines seems like a good news story, but really it’s anything but. When the first train pulled out of the station, it started a financial drain that Ottawa simply can’t afford.

The main train line south and its connecting spur line to the Ottawa Airport are expected to cost about $45.2 million to operate this year. To put that in context, OC Transpo’s entire operating budget is $856 million, the largest amount ever.

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