First of all, there is no missing link as claim, but a new branch line and mainline that has never been looked at or plan for in the past.
Who backyard should Hazardous Goods travel by as they have to do so in one form or another??
Which route will have the less risk of something happening on it as well the less economic effects if something does?? Risk is the number ONE issues that needs to be looked at and it could stop the thing in its track.
You can't look at one section without looking at the big picture how this branch line will effect the big picture from Pickering to Milton.
This will be a Federal EA and will take longer than the Provincial EA.
You need to come up with a capital cost as well time frame how long it will take to built the full new line.
Since CP is looking at closing the Toronto Yard and moving it east, you need to think long range as to what is CP looking at now and down the road, let alone CN. There will be some sort of yard in Toronto and how big it will be depends on many things.
Given the time line of 10 years for RER, far cheaper to add extra tracks to the Galt Sub all the way to Cambridge. The cost and time frame is known now for the Milton section and it was supposed to be completed in 2021/22 in 2014.
Will this new branch line and mainline add benefits for CN & CP to use than the current routes needs to be washout with the future in mind?? If it makes no sense to either RR, its dead in the water as you can't force them to use it.
The first 10+ years will be looking at the route to see what are the issues to do this idea and start looking at the various options how to deal with them. At this point, the capital cost and time frame start to show up.
The next 10+ years will be the EA time frame.
Unless there is a real business case and benefits for CN & CP, both railways could very well say no even if there is no cost to them.
How this new branch line and mainline is built depending on cost and having the funds to do it.
Just because you are moving the RR to a new location, does this line offer various new passenger rail service ranging from commuter service to HSR and that needs to be in the picture as well?? How does this effect CN & CP must be known as well??
Like it or not the existing corridors needs to be 4+ tracks to provide space for the RR and Transit today. Its done in Europe, but freight trains operate at 160 km/h and are short while ours is 100 km/h and less, as well being 300% longer. Europe is now looking at longer trains as well maintain the high speed like today.