High-Speed Rail Plans for Ontario Include Kingston Stop

Ontario Premier Doug Ford believes that a high-speed rail link between Toronto and Ottawa should run along the Highway 401 corridor, stating that route simply “makes sense.”

While speaking with reporters in Brockville, Ont., on Monday, Ford also backed another idea that’s gaining traction in parts of eastern Ontario.

“Maybe make a stop in Kingston, because it’s a little too weighted on the other side of the border,” he mentioned, referring to current plans which include four stops in Quebec but only three in Ontario.

“We need a couple more stops here in Ontario,” Ford added.

Elected officials from Kingston and South Frontenac teamed up last week to present similar arguments.

They’re advocating for the tracks to follow the highway and for a station to be built in Kingston, warning that if those conditions aren’t met, the project won’t help their area and should be reconsidered entirely.

The proposed 1,000-kilometre rail line aims to connect Toronto with Quebec City, using all-electric trains capable of reaching speeds up to 300 km/h.

The current list of stops includes Ottawa and Peterborough in Ontario, as well as Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivières in Quebec.

The total cost is estimated to range between $60 billion and $90 billion.

‘Don’t start taking farmers’ lands’

Alto, the Crown corporation responsible for the high-speed rail initiative, has suggested two possible routes. The northern route would generally follow Highway 7 while a southern option would move into eastern Ontario.

The southern route has sparked concerns among residents across the region. Farmers and rural community members are worried about road access, emergency services availability, wildlife impacts, and how their properties could be isolated by a three-metre fence bordering the tracks.

“Don’t start taking farmers’ lands and everything else out, just follow the 401 corridor,” Ford said on Monday. “It makes sense.”

No station has actually been proposed for Kingston yet nor is one listed among potential locations provided by the federal government.

During a recent meeting of Kingston’s city council last month, Alto informed councillors that while they will attempt to stick to existing corridors like Highway 401 whenever possible; trains traveling at high speeds require a wider “curve radius” than vehicles do. This means even if they aim to follow the highway route closely, trains might still need to diverge outside that corridor at times.

Public feedback regarding this project will continue until April 24.

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