This text is part of the special section Electric and intelligent transport
“This is the most important decarbonization project in the country! » Martin Imbleau does not mince his words when he talks about the high frequency train (TGF) project that he is tasked with building between Quebec and Toronto. At the head of VIA TGF, the state company intended for the project since September 2023, the president and CEO has great ambitions for the country. “There will be millions and millions of journeys that will switch from diesel and gasoline to electricity,” he summarizes. Will Canada soon have a passenger train worthy of the name?
Martin Imbleau describes his future train in three words: fast, reliable and frequent. “All you have to do is show up at the station, because there will always be a train about to leave. As these will be reserved rails, we will also be able to be certain of the arrival time. » If everything goes as the CEO hopes, it will be possible to go by train to Toronto from Montreal on a weekday morning, spend a day of professional meetings in the Queen City and return to sleep at home on same evening.
Beyond these scenarios, Martin Imbleau is sparing with details on the technical specificities of the project, evoking a desire not to skip any steps. “You have to hurry slowly,” he explains. In the development phase, you need to take as much preparation time as possible to be able to move quickly afterwards. » A list of criteria was submitted to three consortia, which will have to present projects by the end of 2024. The proposed train must be electric “over a very large portion of the journey” and will include at least seven stations: Quebec, Trois-Rivières Rivers, Montreal, Laval, Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto. It must also be comparable to “European standards”, that is to say that it will run “fast when possible and it will slow down to serve as many people as possible”, explains the CEO.
Support from the Montreal business community
President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Mont-réal, Michel Leblanc looks favorably on this TGF project. “We’ve been talking about it for 20 years,” he notes. But never before has an organization been formed to devote itself to its development. » Despite the delays, he refuses to fall into cynicism, preferring to give the runner a chance. The lack of details does not worry him too much either: “It is clear that the actions taken so far are those taken by serious people,” he observes.
Is the Montreal business community ready to get behind the project? “Yes,” he said without hesitation. However, we do not yet know the location of the stations, the proposed route and the cost of the project. There are several unknowns that could lead us to ask questions. » He is still delighted to see that the main criterion of his community – speed – has been incorporated into the project. “Montreal is already very well served in terms of airlines to Toronto. For business people to change transportation, speed is essential. »
Expected benefits
Aside from the ecological argument – transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country – Martin Imbleau sees many advantages in the development of this train. “Our productivity is decreasing because of congestion problems,” he laments. We lose money and time because we are stuck in traffic. It is not by adding motorway lanes that we will solve the problem, because of the resulting traffic. » He cites a report that assessed the positive effects on productivity of building a fast train around the city of London, United Kingdom. “It’s common sense. »
The CEO also points to the battery sector, whose two main centers – Bécancour, part of the Trois-Rivières region, and the suburbs of Toronto – will be connected by the TGF. “It will allow the exchange of talents, the fluidity of workers,” he believes. “I don’t expect it to change business decisions between Montreal and Toronto,” says Michel Leblanc. “Between Trois-Rivières and Montreal, perhaps. People will be able to live in one city and work in the other. »
Promised many times, will this train really see the light of day? “This time, it’s the right one,” believes Martin Imbleau. The stars are aligned. We have no right to be wrong. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.