Ontario Construction News staff writer
With rumours of a federal election growing louder, the Minister of Transport announced last Wednesday that the government is taking the first steps in preparing for the procurement process to build a new train service in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor.
The proposed lines would significantly reduce travel times between the cities.
“Today, we are taking the first steps in preparing for the procurement process to build a new train service in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor, Alghabra said at a news conference. “High Frequency Rail in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor is a massive transportation project with the potential to transform passenger rail service by offering faster, more reliable, more frequent, and cleaner transportation service.
“It will increase frequency for passengers like yourself and transform the connection between these cities,” Alghabra said.
If completed, trains would travel at higher speeds than currently possible, however, the government stopped short of calling the project “high speed” rail because vehicle speeds would still fall short of those typically associated with high speed rail networks in Europe and Asia.
The request for proposal for the procurement process is expected to launch in fall 2021.The High Frequency Rail proposal in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor involves building dedicated passenger rail tracks which would provide many key benefits to travellers, including:
- shorter travel times and faster trains that would reduce average trip times between Toronto and Ottawa by up to 90 minutes
- more reliable on-time arrival performance up to 95 per cent from a current average of 67 per cent
- more direct routes with improved connectivity between cities and to other modes of transportation
- new services to certain communities, such as Peterborough, Trois-Rivières, and Laval, and new stations in targeted locations including near Jean Lesage Airport
- more frequent departures between cities
- a cleaner travel option using electrified technology
Working with VIA Rail, the proposal would be the largest transportation infrastructure project seen by Canada in decades, which is why the Government of Canada is doing its due diligence and undertaking a phased approach to put in place the right conditions to ensure the greatest amount of success for this project.
“The High Frequency rail proposal to build dedicated passenger rail tracks and expand service will provide many benefits to travellers from the National Capital Region. From shorter travel times and faster trains, to more reliable on-time arrivals, to cleaner travel using electrified technology, this major transportation infrastructure project will create jobs and economic growth,” said Ottawa South MP David McGuinty.
A dedicated passenger track would allow a travel speed up to 177-200 kilometers per hour (or 110-124 miles per hour), which could result in reduced travel times of up to 90 minutes on some routes, such as Ottawa to Toronto. It is expected that High Frequency Rail could nearly triple the amount of annual trips taken by rail in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor, rising from 4.8 million in 2019, to a projected 17 million by 2059.
“Since proposing High Frequency Rail more than five years ago, VIA Rail has been working tirelessly to ensure it becomes a reality,” said Cynthia Garneau, president and CEO of VIA Rail
“We are thus pleased with the decisive steps that have been announced as it brings us closer to that objective and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the federal government as a strong partner in delivering High Frequency Rail. It’s time to provide Canadians with a nation-building, growth-generating and environmentally friendly project which will transform the way present and future generations live and travel.”