Transport Action Canada, a national public transportation advocacy group, has expressed support for a potential Kingston, Ont., stop on Alto’s proposed high-speed rail network, but is raising some concerns about the station itself.
Last month, Transport Minister Steven Mac Kinnon urged Crown corporation Alto to look into a southern route between Peterborough and Ottawa that would feature a possible stop in Kingston.
Transport Action said it backs the idea of adding a Kingston stop but believes it should work well with existing Via Rail service.
The advocacy group mentioned its primary concern is with Alto’s suggested southern alignment, which could place the station roughly a 25- to 30-minute drive north of Kingston.
“It is quite hard to make a competitive connection when one service can regularly be expected to be 30-plus minutes late,” a Transport Action spokesperson stated in a release, referring to Via Rail’s on-time performance.
Story continues below
The organization noted that improving connections with Via Rail is crucial so communities along the Lake Ontario corridor can benefit from this project.
Source link
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories. This request came after the first round of public consultations for the project, which aims to cover about 1,000 km between Toronto and Québec City, with trains running at speeds exceeding 300 km/h. According to Transport Canada, this network should cut travel times by about half. For now, though, Alto stated it’s considering whether or not to add Kingston to its route. “We’re rigorously analyzing this option,” Crystal Jongeward, Alto’s senior adviser of corporate communications, mentioned in an email to . The corporation believes that having a station in Kingston could enhance connections across Eastern Ontario by linking the city with Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal. More on Canada More videos Jongeward explained that their review includes looking at construction costs, ridership levels, regional accessibility, technical feasibility as well as economic and social benefits and long-term network performance. Alto also pointed out that this stop could put around 80 percent of residents living between Peterborough and Ottawa within a 25-minute drive of a rail station. Transport Action further urged Alto to ensure direct access is included for Montréal-Trudeau International Airport when it opens and eventually connect it with Toronto Pearson International Airport too. Story continues below The group also emphasized that stations should be situated in downtown areas of Toronto, Montréal and Québec City because central locations are vital for high-speed rail success. The advocacy group is asking the federal government to publish Alto’s business case along with its evaluation of alternatives like better utilization of existing rail corridors. Alto confirmed it will keep examining the Kingston option over the upcoming months and plans to provide more information once its technical analysis and further consultations are finished. The first section planned for construction on the Alto line will be between Ottawa and Montreal.© 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Source link
