Ottawa weighs Alto route shift that could add Kingston stop

The Liberal government is considering a southern route option for the Alto high-speed rail project that could bring the line into Kingston, Ont.

The Liberal government is considering a major routing change for the Alto high-speed rail project that could move the Toronto-to-Quebec City corridor south toward Lake Ontario and include a stop in Kingston, Ont., CBC News reported.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement to CBC that he has asked Alto to study a southern route option with a possible Kingston stop, while cautioning that the idea remains "subject to technical feasibility and project requirements."

The move matters because it could reshape one of the country’s most ambitious transportation projects before construction begins. The proposed all-electric high-speed line is planned to run about 1,000 kilometres between Toronto and Quebec City, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h and an estimated cost of $60 billion to $90 billion.

MacKinnon said the decision to look at another route follows feedback and public consultations. He is expected to provide an update on the project Monday morning in Kingston.

The route announced late last year included planned stops in Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montreal, Ottawa and Peterborough. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he wants construction to begin in four years.

Alto has already proposed two possible paths: a more direct line between Peterborough and Ottawa, and a southern track that would come within about a half-hour drive of downtown Kingston. Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson and South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal have pushed for a third alternative that would dip farther south, run along the Highway 401 corridor, stop in Kingston and continue toward Quebec City.

Councillors in both Kingston and South Frontenac previously supported motions opposing the route unless it reaches Kingston and includes a stop there. Paterson has argued that the communities are offering support for the project if those conditions are met, rather than simply resisting the line.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also expressed support in March for a southern option that could include Kingston, saying the existing plan was weighted too heavily away from Ontario.

The next question is whether Alto’s technical review finds that a Kingston stop can fit the project’s engineering, cost and timing requirements. Until then, the southern option remains under consideration rather than a confirmed route change.