Adding a high-speed rail stop in Kingston would have a “marginal” effect on travel times between Ottawa and Toronto, according to Alto CEO Martin Imbleau. The comment came alongside a government announcement that Kingston is now being considered for a potential station on the proposed electrified rail line between Toronto and Quebec City.
Government directs assessment of Kingston route
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced Monday that he had directed Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing the project, to develop plans for a path between Peterborough and Ottawa that would swing south to include Kingston. Previously, the proposed route bypassed Kingston entirely with two corridor options between Ottawa and Toronto.
“I have asked Alto to further assess an alignment option that could include Kingston as a potential stop as we continue advancing this transformative project for communities across the Toronto–Québec City corridor,” MacKinnon said in a written news release.
Marginal impact on express service
In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Imbleau said the Kingston stop was one of “two or three big takeaways” from the consultation report and would allow the system to tap into a large ridership. “If we do Ottawa to Kingston and then Kingston to Peterborough, it may add a couple of minutes on the journey time,” he said. “It’s still being assessed. It would be marginal.”
Alto intends to keep travel times short by deploying an express service that would see some trains skip stops in Ottawa, Kingston and Peterborough. “That’s why the impact on the duration of the expresses is very, very, very marginal,” Imbleau said. “The important thing is really to do Montreal to Toronto in three hours or less … 30, 35 trains per day going through a community, not all of them will stop everywhere.”
Consultation report released
Alto released a “What-We-Heard” consultation report on Monday detailing public feedback on several potential station locations in Ottawa and routes through eastern Ontario. The report gives an overview of resident feedback on the federal government’s plan for a proposed 1,000-kilometre fully electrified rail line between Toronto and Quebec City.
The shift to consider Kingston follows pressure from local officials, including Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson and Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, who urged constituents to weigh in on Alto’s plans.
Project details and timeline
A high-speed rail line in the Quebec City to Windsor corridor, home to nearly half of Canada’s population, has been proposed and studied repeatedly over the years. Trains are expected to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h, and the government claims the new line would cut current travel times in half. The entire project is estimated to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion. It was originally launched by the Justin Trudeau government, with $3.9 billion over six years earmarked for design and development. Alto aims to begin construction in 2029.
