High-speed rail plans get high praise in the nation's capital

There's been positive reaction in Ottawa to news that the nation's capital could be home to Canada’s first high-speed rail line by the end of the decade.

On Friday, the federal government announced that construction on the line linking Ottawa to Montreal could begin as early as 2029.

With trains expected to reach speeds of 300 kilometres per hour, they could cut the commute time between the two cities in half, an enticing prospect for those wary of heavy traffic in and around Montreal.

“I don’t really go to Montreal that often, but I’d probably be more keen on going because [it would be] a lot easier,” said Ottawa-area resident Thane Tremaine.

Once completed, the Ottawa-Montreal line will be the first segment of a planned Toronto-to-Quebec City high-speed rail corridor.

In Ottawa's business community, the project is being praised as a way to both attract out-of-town talent and keep graduates of local post-secondary institutions from heading elsewhere.

“It makes it easier for those who might want to work here certain days a week, and travel very rapidly back and forth,” said Sonya Shorey, president of Invest Ottawa.

“I think it also allows us to ... shine an even greater spotlight on all the attributes of Ottawa. And so having that high-speed rail creates a better quality of life for those who are here that want to go outbound and travel.”

More zooms, less fumes

Environmental advocates in Ottawa are also welcoming the project, in part because it could mean fewer people will drive between the two cities.

When the project was first announced, the federal government said the high-speed trains would be completely electric.

“Right now, transportation is a huge part of greenhouse gas emissions. In the city of Ottawa, it’s actually the highest community emission sector,” said Cassie Smith, strategic lead for transportation at the Envirocentre in Ottawa.

“[For] high-speed rail, I think the estimates are that it could replace 100,000 cars.”

While proposals for high-speed rail networks in Canada have faced hurdles in the past, Smith is pretty confident this time around will be different. She points to the fact that Canada is the only G7 country without any type of high-speed rail.

Shorey says the line could also help raise Canada’s profile in the global business sphere, making Ottawa more accessible and attractive to international visitors and investors.

“It’s going to be easier to get here. It will be faster. And it’s a more sustainable way to travel," she said.

"So for those who make values-based decisions, it’s going to support that particular goal.”

Not exactly all aboard

The entire 1,000-kilometre line, overseen by the crown corporation Alto, is expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.

Public consultations to determine the precise path of the Ottawa-Montreal stretch are expected to take place in January.

While the project has been praised by many in Canada’s capital, it's also been met with pushback. The federal Conservatives condemned the announcement, calling it overpriced and criticizing the timeline.

The federal NDP has also raised concerns in the past, with then MP Taylor Bachrach voicing displeasure in February that privatizing the Toronto-Quebec City project could bring an end to publicly subsidized passenger trains in western Canada.

Shorey says that while there is still a lot to map out, she's encouraged by the government's willingness to have local consultations.

“There will be many parts of our region that would benefit from this," she said. "But we need to make sure it’s feasible, that it’s cost-effective, that we’ve accounted for all the stakeholders in those communities.”