Province makes a 'deal with the devil' when choosing diesel trains

To the editor:

Re: 'Electric train movement gains momentum,' insidetoronto.com, Sept. 28

It's past time to phase out diesel trains. While the engines can be reliable and cheap to operate, they are also polluting and rely on fossil fuels, with the carbon footprint and unstable pricing that goes along with it.

Electric power has proved itself around the world as being cost-efficient and reliable. When coupled with improvements to our power generation to phase out fossil fuels, electric trains will rapidly become much cheaper than diesel.

The reason diesel is even considered is due to faulty cost accounting.

If you look at just the cost to run the engines, diesel can be attractive. But if you consider the cost over the life of the engine, and the predicted increases in oil prices, the picture changes. Add in the health care costs caused by the extra air pollution and reasonable people can only conclude that diesel is not a viable option. Factor in global warming and diesel looks like a deal with the devil.

Unfortunately, our provincial government hasn't really come to grips with the big picture. While it slowly moves to convert coal fired electricity generation to gas, a less polluting (but not pollution-free) alternative, it dithers over the green energy we need to combat global warming.

Unfortunately, the decisions made today, whether it is in power generation or locomotives, will impact our carbon footprint for decades.

It is utter lunacy to even consider diesel engines for commuter trains.

Gary Dale