Alto High Speed Rail

[Richard Eade]

I am amused by the protests that this is political interference in what should be a purely technical choice of routing. The original (limited) routing guidance that ALTO was given was likely conceived by politicians. Seriously, would there be a technical reason for inserting a Laval stop between Ottawa and Montreal?

It is starting to sound, to me, as if the routing is gradually reverting to the current one. I think that, EVENTUALLY, ALTO’s routing will be revamped to become a fast line between Toronto and Montreal – one that follows the Seaway, on tracks that are parallel to the freight tracks. It will, likely, have stops at P.E. Trudeau Airport (Dorval) and Kingston, as the train travels between Gare Centrale in Montreal and Union Station in Toronto.

This will be justified because it will be less expensive, and will create a faster link between the two largest cities on the line. The route will cut through less ‘virgin’ territory (although it will still need land to widen the corridor) so it should be much less controversial.

As far as I can see, this makes more sense for a high-speed line between Toronto and Montreal. Going from Toronto, to Peterborough, to Ottawa, to Laval, to Montreal is somewhat longer, and likely slower, than a straighter run between the two termini, that has one less stop.

But where does it leave Ottawa?

I think that, EVENTUALLY, there will be a decision that a new corridor between Ottawa and Laval is not the best way forward. This will be informed by the determination that the Toronto-Montreal line follows the Seaway. Since that southern route (along the Seaway) will already require tunneling to get the trains to Gare Centrale, boring another tunnel from Laval to Gare Centrale would be wasteful. Using a slightly straightened and upgraded run beside the existing VIA route from Ottawa to Montreal would take those trains to a junction with the southern route, at Dorval – meaning that only one tunnel is needed. This will be a ‘higher-speed’ line, but, likely, not more than 250-300 KPH.

That said, there is obviously some pressure to have a stop in Laval. This might force a second tunnel, heading north from Gare Centrale. If so, then ALTO might continue planning that new corridor from Ottawa to Laval.

(Personally, I think that a better high-speed routing between Montreal and Quebec City would be along the south shore, and the ALTO tunnel between Levis and Quebec should be combined with The Third Link.)

I do not expect that the more direct, northern, route from Toronto to Ottawa – through Peterborough – will get the green-light. I expect that, in the future, to get to Ottawa, one would take a high-speed train to Kingston and then transfer to a VIA train.