The City of London is hopping on board with the Ontario government with plans to build a high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to London and other cities in Southwestern Ontario.

The city's civic works committee voted unanimously Monday to endorse the project as a priority for London.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was in London in May to announce Ontario's plan to move ahead with a high-speed rail transportation system in the province.

The first phase of the project would link London to Toronto by 2025 at an expected cost up to $15 billion depending on different factors.

City of London staff presented a report to the civic works committee on Monday on a multi-modal hub. The hub would be the convergence of high-speed rail, transit and VIA rail in one location in the city.

However, Coun. Harold Usher raised concerns during the committee meeting over the location of the hub projected for the downtown London area.

"I think it's going to be noisy," he said. "The crowds, the noise, and the availability of the space … we have to start thinking that it's not going to be this little thing for this little city."

Usher said the mobility hub may require bigger tracks and road expansions that could cause congestion in the city's core. He recommended moving the hub closer to the 401 corridor or along Sunningdale Road in London's north end.

"This city may very well be double in size and that hub is going to be very big," he said. "When our population jumps … it isn't going to be the nice comfortable environment that we have today."

The project is set to provide a more convenient mode of transportation that would reduce air emissions. It's also slated to help boost the economy by promoting the movement of goods.

London's $560-million bus rapid transit plan would see high frequency public transit busses carrying commuters across the city, and through the downtown.

Kelly Scherr, the city's top engineer, said staff is looking to link BRT with existing and upcoming modes of transportation, including high-speed rail.

"We do know they need to be integrated and we are making the plans appropriate to have that happen."

"Ideally we want our entire transportation network to be seamless…whether you bike, whether you drive, whether you take local transit or whether you use the planned BRT system," she said. "We want to be able to connect people from where they live where they work to places within our community, in Ontario, and the nation as well."

Scherr said that a new hub for high-speed rail would be suitable close to BRT corridors within the vicinity of Wellington Street and York Street. However, several options are being considered.

"No matter which party comes up," said Usher. "I think high-speed real is here to stay."

A provincial election slated for next year may see the high-speed rail project, led by the Ontario Liberals, handed off to another party.

However, Usher said the project is deemed a necessity for everyday commuters and that any party should recognize that.

"(Government officials) are finding out that it's a necessity," he said. "It's the speed at which it happens that's going to be the question."

Mayor Matt Brown is set to put London's support on paper, through a letter to Ontario's premier, the minister of transportation and other government officials.