A group of area residents isn't giving up the fight for lost VIA Rail trains. The popular commuter trains in St. Marys and Stratford were cut by VIA last year.
Now, residents are ramping up the effort to get them back.
Chris West is spearheading a project called 'Save VIA' to bring St. Marys commuter trains back.
"We do have some VIA service, but we need extra service to accommodate the people for the concerns they have," says West.
But after the federal government cut $300 million from the VIA budget this past March, it could be an uphill battle
West has gathered 1,800 signatures on a petition to bring back the trains and he says they've committed to working with VIA to make that happen.
St. Mary's isn't the only town missing their trains though, neighbouring Stratford also saw cuts.
Sheila Clark is part of a research team looking at all public transportation across southwestern Ontario.
She says it's a system that just isn't working, "This is affecting all age groups and it's affecting the population in all areas of income."
Just this week, the Canadian Federation of University Women launched a new website, looking for input about public transportation across southwestern Ontario.
