High-speed rail project could include two GTA stations, Alto CEO says
· Toronto Sun
The executive in charge of Canada’s first high-speed rail network said the Greater Toronto Area could get two stations as part of the project linking the city to Quebec City, The Canadian Press reported.
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The initial plan was for the GTA to have one station, but speaking to the news agency on Thursday, Alto CEO Martin Imbleau said the city “will probably require a secondary station,” adding that the GTA’s ridership numbers could accommodate two stops.
He said the second station will likely be located in a suburb outside of the city and would be built before the downtown leg is completed, though a decision about it hasn’t been finalized.
The project currently has seven proposed stops: Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Que., Trois-Rivieres, Que., and Quebec City.
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Project has its share of critics
The current plan would cut travel times between Toronto and Montreal to three hours and seven minutes with 72 trains travelling daily on the line at speeds of up to 300 km/h on dedicated electric tracks spanning about 1,000 km.
The federal Conservatives have been the most vocal opponents of the project, which is estimated to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion, with Leader Pierre Poilievre calling it a “ boondoggle ” in March, saying that the money could be better spent elsewhere.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon responded to Poilievre’s comments on X , saying the Conservative leader is “showing Canadians that he has no vision to create jobs and grow the economy.”
Some farmers, rural residents and local government officials are also opposed to the project, saying the project would split up their communities, sharing concerns over land expropriations and the cost to taxpayers.