Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government has directed Alto, the Crown corporation planning Canada’s proposed high-speed rail project, to consider building a stop in Kingston, following public feedback.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the move Monday during a visit to Kingston, saying the decision reflects concerns and suggestions raised during three months of public consultations held across Ontario and Quebec.
“This is a strong indication of preference for one route over another,” MacKinnon told reporters, emphasizing that no final decision has been made.
The high-speed rail line would connect Toronto and Quebec City using dedicated electric tracks capable of supporting trains travelling at speeds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour. The project currently carries an estimated price tag of between $60 billion and $90 billion.
MacKinnon has now instructed Alto to consider a southern route option between Ottawa and Peterborough that would include a stop in Kingston, connecting directly with the city’s existing Via Rail station.
According to Alto, the addition could cut travel times between Kingston and Toronto roughly in half, reducing the journey to about 90 minutes. However, adding an eighth stop to the corridor could increase both travel times and overall project costs, raising new questions about the line’s budget and long-term revenue projections.
Opposition for the project has been growing from rural communities in Eastern Ontario and from residents in Mirabel, Que., who say the rail line could divide farmland, disrupt rural communities and require the expropriation of private property.
Hundreds of farmers from Ontario and Quebec protested on Parliament Hill in early June, encouraging the government to scrap the construction project.
“I understand those concerns,” MacKinnon said. “But this is infrastructure that is being built for the common good.”
The government has not provided a timeline for a final route decision, and further analysis by Alto is expected before the project advances to its next stage.
