I used to somewhat regularly take Toronto <-> Kingston, and I don't believe I was ever delayed by freight on that leg. Maybe the CN ownership prevents them from doing other kinds of upgrades on them, but they seem to get pretty decent priority during the day, particularly compared with the Toronto -> Vancouver route where you can sit on a siding for 4 hours. And it's not even really a matter of priority; the issue is that the siding is only long enough to accommodate the passenger train— the freight train going the other way is way, way longer.
In any case, I don't think anyone has ever seriously suggested HSR for the train out west. VIA has simply embraced that it will always be slow and impractical, and they market and price it accordingly— it's supposed to be an experience, like going on a cruise, not a practical means of getting to a destination.
In any case, I don't think anyone has ever seriously suggested HSR for the train out west. VIA has simply embraced that it will always be slow and impractical, and they market and price it accordingly— it's supposed to be an experience, like going on a cruise, not a practical means of getting to a destination.