TORONTO — The current Conservative government of the province of Ontario says it will pause funding for a planned high speed rail line between Toronto and Windsor, Ont., a project announced by the previous Liberal government that would have cut the travel time between the two cities from four hours to two.

Transportation minister Jeff Yurek said the decision is based on fiscal issues with the province, the National Post reports. “We’re dealing with a deficit and a huge debt so we want to make sure we’re going to make the right investments going forward.” The first budget for the new government sets the province’s deficit at $11.7 billion (Canadian) and debt at C$343 billion.

The previously announced plan would have connected Toronto to London, Ont., by 2025 and to Windsor by 2031, with trains that would travel up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). [See “Ontario announces plans for Canada’s first high speed rail line,” Trains News Wire, April 9, 2018.]

Yurek said environment assessment of the high speed project will continue, as will a review of all transportation options. The government says it will introduce a transportation plan for Southwest Ontario this fall.