Canada’s first high-speed train faces another twist in the tracks.
What happened: Ottawa has directed the Alto high-speed rail project to explore a new potential route that includes a stop in the city of Kingston, ON. The decision follows the release of Alto's first public consultation report, which found demand for a Kingston stop.
In its current conception, the route would connect Toronto and Quebec City while making stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Trois-Rivières, Laval, and Montreal.
Catch-up: With speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour, Alto’s trains promise to be nearly twice as fast as Via Rail’s and generate billions in economic benefits through cross-city integration. However, Alto has faced intense backlash from some residents in affected areas.
The consultation was marred by miscommunication and anti-Alto activism. Some politicians have taken up the opposition, with Pierre Poilievre and Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon vowing to kill the project if they come to power.
Why it matters: A route with a Kingston stop would provide service to a larger population. Perhaps more importantly, it would be an attempt to salvage the political viability of Alto by winning over Kingston and South Frontenac politicians who will oppose the project without a local stop.
That said, high-speed rail is most effective when the track is as straight as possible, and the addition of Kingston could compromise this. Plus, it could just end up spurring even more NIMBYism from residents along the new route.
Our take: As the saying goes, when you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. We’re highly uncertain this project will ever actually get built. And even if it does, we foresee decades of compromises that cause delays and hurt overall performance.—QH
