Information provided for reference as supplied to senior officials at Transport Canada on . It has not been updated since that date.

VIA Rail's High Frequency Rail Project

Location: National

Summary of Issue/Background

  • While passenger rail has declined in Canada in recent decades as private vehicle and air travel has expanded, it remains a preferred travel choice for some Canadians, particularly in the busy Quebec City-Windsor corridor, and offers an accessible transportation option with a lower environmental impact than alternatives like air and private automobile.
  • VIA Rail (VIA) operates on shared infrastructure with freight operators, resulting in congestion on conventional tracks, limited frequencies, and poor on-time performance. These impacts therefore constrain the ability of VIA’s intercity passenger rail service to be an effective and reliable mobility option for Canadians.
  • In response to these challenges, in 2016, VIA put forward a proposal for High Frequency Rail (HFR) between Toronto and Quebec City. A cornerstone of the HFR project is a proposed investment in dedicated tracks exclusive to its services to allow for more frequent, faster and reliable service throughout every day that would make the train a more attractive option for travellers in this busy transportation corridor.
  • Transport Canada (TC) has worked with VIA, the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Finance Canada to conduct an in-depth assessment of VIA’s HFR proposal. In June 2019, the Government committed $71.1 million, including funds from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, to undertake pre-procurement and de-risking activities identified by TC’s due diligence. This funding will also support investments preserve the option of interoperability between VIA’s proposed HFR service and Montreal’s future Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail system, and to further explore better linking these systems in the area of the Trudeau International Airport in Dorval.
  • The Government established an HFR Joint Project Office, between VIA and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, to move forward with the next steps on the de-risking and pre-procurement activities required to position the Government to make a final investment decision on the HFR project. This includes preparation for an environmental assessment and preliminary work on land acquisitions, and stakeholder engagements, including consultations with Indigenous communities.
  • Should it proceed, HFR would leverage a recent Government investment to replace VIA’s fleet serving the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. In December 2018, VIA awarded a $989 million contract to Siemens Canada Inc. to provide 32 trainsets to replace the existing corridor fleet. These trains will begin entering into service in 2022. The contract with Siemens includes options to procure additional trainsets should the Government decide to implement HFR.