(Windsor, ON) - It might be possible for local travelers to take a train into Canada in the future.

Amtrak is proposing to construct a new commuter line connecting Detroit to Toronto with service to and from Chicago starting in 2027.  It would take close to 10 hours for a one-way trip from Chicago to Toronto, according to Amtrak officials, with theoretical stops including existing Amtrak stations in Michigan City and New Buffalo.

If the line is built, officials are touting potential economic benefits for communities along the proposed route.  Despite being 230 miles apart, the last time Toronto and Detroit had direct rail service was in 1967.

Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto have a combined metropolitan area population of 17.6 million people. Per Amtrak officials, the new route would link over 25 Fortune 500 companies to Toronto, the economic center of Canada.