(Ottawa) A high-speed train (TGV) or a high-frequency train (TGF) between Quebec and Toronto? A TGV, please! say the Canadians.
The answer is unequivocal from the approximately 2,000 people questioned about the ideal option for the future train that could serve this corridor.
The TGV is popular with 92% of respondents to a survey conducted on behalf of VIA TGF, the government corporation created nearly two years ago to carry out this ambitious project. The appetite for such a mode of transportation is also pronounced among all generations, we also learned in this survey.
And even if it required more significant investments from the federal government, a TGV is the most attractive option for nearly 60% of respondents, according to this survey, which was conducted online among 1,006 Quebecers and 1,013 Ontarians on July 27.
All the more so since this option, which would offer a speed of 300 km/h in places, would make it possible to reduce travel time by half between Montreal and Ottawa, for example, or between Ottawa and Toronto.
Such support for the idea that Canada is firmly committed to the TGV could influence decision-makers and project leaders as the time for crucial decisions approaches. Canada is, let us recall, the only G7 country not to have a TGV on its territory.
In recent months, the vocabulary of the defenders of this project has evolved. If at the beginning the option of a TGF was more advanced, today, the idea of a Canadian-style TGV is more often mentioned.
Result: the option of a fast train according to European standards is more than ever in the pipeline. The envisaged project would be based on some 1000 km of electric railway tracks reserved exclusively for passenger transport. This would not only stimulate economic growth in the country and increase productivity, but also reduce CO emissions.2 and to promote environmental sustainability.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of VIA TGF
We are the only G7 country without a fast, reliable and frequent rail network. With pressing challenges such as declining productivity, urban congestion and climate change, developing this service is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
Martin Imbleau, Chairman and CEO of VIA TGF, in an interview with The Press
The consultations carried out on this subject also demonstrate that the speed of the future train is a determining factor for all users.
“The faster, the better. Speed is seen as critical to justifying the investment required in this project,” says a summary of focus groups that were also conducted in parallel with the survey.
“If the train is not significantly faster, there is no added value and participants will likely continue to use their cars,” the summary adds.
Announcement this fall
Last month, VIA TGF received the various proposals from three major consortia, made up of Canadian and international companies. Each of these consortia submitted a proposal offering a TGV. The three consortia are CADENCE (which includes CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt), Interurban Rail Developers and QCONNEXION Rail Partners.
The Trudeau government is expected to announce this fall which group it will retain to carry out this project and which option it prefers. According to our information, the decision could be announced during the economic and financial update that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is expected to provide, likely in November.
According to VIA TGF, the number of users could jump if Ottawa opted for a TGV. According to the Crown corporation’s projections, the number of passengers could increase from 5 million to 30 million per year.
“This would be enough for the TGV to eventually cover its costs,” according to a source familiar with the matter.
Because one important piece of data that supports an ambitious project is the meteoric rise in population in the last two years in this corridor and the projections for population growth in the coming years. The province of Ontario alone is forecasting an annual population increase of 800,000 inhabitants per year. Such growth will obviously bring its share of challenges, particularly in terms of congestion and housing.