Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government has asked Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing Canada’s planned high-speed rail project, to look into adding a stop in Kingston after receiving public input.
Transport Minister Steven Mac Kinnon shared this update on Monday during his visit to Kingston, noting that the decision addresses concerns and suggestions from three months of public consultations held across Ontario and Quebec.
“This is a strong indication of preference for one route over another,” Mac Kinnon told reporters, stressing that no final choice has been made yet.
The high-speed rail line aims to connect Toronto and Quebec City using dedicated electric tracks that can accommodate trains traveling at speeds over 300 kilometres per hour. The project’s estimated cost currently ranges between $60 billion and $90 billion.
Mac Kinnon has now directed Alto to explore a southern route option connecting Ottawa and Peterborough that would feature a stop in Kingston, linking directly with the city’s existing Via Rail station.
According to Alto, this addition could reduce travel times between Kingston and Toronto by about half, bringing the journey down to roughly 90 minutes. However, including an eighth stop in the corridor might extend travel times and raise overall project costs, which raises new questions about budget and long-term revenue estimates.
Opposition against the project has been increasing from rural communities in Eastern Ontario as well as residents in Mirabel, Que., who argue that the rail line could disrupt farmland, divide rural areas, and necessitate expropriation of private properties.
Hundreds of farmers from Ontario and Quebec protested on Parliament Hill earlier in June, urging the government to cancel the construction plans.
“I understand those concerns,” Mac Kinnon said. “But this is infrastructure that is being built for the common good.”
The government hasn’t given a timeline for making a final route decision; further analysis by Alto is anticipated before moving forward with the project.
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