Kingston’s potential inclusion in the proposed Alto high-speed rail network is drawing renewed debate, as Lanark–Frontenac MP Scott Reid uses comments from the city’s incoming mayor to call for the project to be cancelled.
In a House of Commons exchange shared on his Facebook page, Reid quoted mayor-elect Conny Glenn questioning the priority being given to the proposed rail network.
The Conservative MP argued that adding Kingston would make the Toronto-to-Quebec City project more expensive and slow travel between Montreal and Toronto.
He said the change would add between $4 billion and $6 billion and extend trips by 20 minutes.
Reid then called on the government to abandon the project.
Liberal Mike Kelloway, parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport, defended the project as a major investment in Canada’s future.
Kelloway also argued trains offer environmental benefits and that Alto would strengthen connections between rural and urban communities. He urged opposition members to support the project.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates construction of the baseline network, excluding Kingston, at $75 billion to $113 billion in 2024 dollars. Its report discusses potential challenges with a Kingston route but explicitly says it does not estimate that option’s cost.
The federal proposal calls for studying a possible Kingston stop connected with VIA Rail. Alto says that could bring Kingston-to-Toronto travel times to about 90 minutes, subject to technical feasibility and project requirements.
