Alto high-speed rail company considering Kingston stop despite concerns

Transport Action Canada, a national public transportation advocacy group, has voiced support for a proposed stop in Kingston, Ontario, on Alto's planned high-speed rail network. However, the organization is urging for the station to be closely integrated with the existing Via Rail service to ensure efficient connections.

The primary concern raised by Transport Action Canada centers on Alto's proposed southern route alignment, which could place a station a significant 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 spokesperson for the group stated, referencing Via Rail's on-time performance issues. They argue that better connections are crucial for communities along the Lake Ontario corridor to benefit from the project.

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It is quite hard to make a competitive connection when one service can regularly be expected to be 30-plus minutes late.

Alto, the Crown corporation developing the high-speed rail network, confirmed it is rigorously analyzing the option of adding a Kingston stop. Crystal Jongeward, Alto's senior adviser of corporate communications, stated that the review encompasses construction costs, potential ridership, regional accessibility, technical feasibility, and economic and social benefits. The corporation believes a Kingston station could enhance connections across Eastern Ontario by linking the city with Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Alto also estimates that the stop could place approximately 80 percent of residents between Peterborough and Ottawa within a 25-minute drive of a station.

Transport Action Canada also called for the high-speed rail network to include direct access to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and eventually connect to Toronto Pearson International Airport. They stressed the importance of central station locations in major cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City for the network's overall success. The group is also pressing the federal government to release Alto's business case and its assessment of alternatives, such as maximizing the use of existing rail corridors.

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We’re rigorously analyzing this option.