Liberal government considering high-speed rail route change to include stop in Kingston

The Liberal government is weighing a significant routing change for the Alto high-speed rail project that would move the line's corridor south toward the shore of Lake Ontario, CBC News has confirmed.

"I have directed Alto to develop a southern route option that includes a potential stop in Kingston, subject to technical feasibility and project requirements," Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement sent to CBC News.

"This is an important next step toward building a faster, cleaner and more connected rail network for Canadians.”

The proposed line from Quebec City to Toronto — which Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to start building in four years — was announced late last year with planned stops in Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montreal, Ottawa and Peterborough.

MacKinnon, who says the decision to consider another route comes after feedback and public consultations, is expected to announce the decision Monday morning in Kingston, Ont., where he will provide an update on the project.

While there has been some opposition to the project from people living along the proposed route of Canada's first high-speed rail line, the mayors for Kingston and the Township of South Frontenac have taken a different position.

The two mayors met in March to voice support for a scenario that would see the track for the Alto rail line run along the Highway 401 corridor, stop in Kingston, and then continue on to Quebec City.

"There's a lot of opposition to both the northern and southern corridor, so we're urging Alto, rather than just pushing through that opposition ... [to] listen to the feedback [and] listen to the voices that they're hearing," Kington Mayor Bryan Paterson said.

"In this case," Paterson added, "you're getting a very strong 'yes' with a couple of key conditions that are technically feasible and make a lot of sense from a business and economics perspective."

Alto has proposed two routes. One is an essentially straight line between Peterborough and Ottawa. The second is a southern track that dips to within a half-hour's drive of downtown Kingston.

Paterson and South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal are backing an alternative third route: one that dips even further than the proposed southern corridor.

Councillors for both Kingston and South Frontenac had already voted, in separate motions, in support of telling Alto and federal officials they oppose the route unless it goes all the way to Kingston and stops there.

Speaking with reporters in Brockville, Ont., in March, Ontario Premier Doug Ford provided early backing for a southern route.

"Maybe make a stop in Kingston, because it’s a little too weighted on the other side of the border," he said, referring to the current plans that calls for four stops in Quebec, but only three in the province he leads.

The 1,000-kilometre rail line is set to connect Toronto and Quebec City, with all-electric trains reaching speeds of 300 km/h. Overall, it's expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.