High Frequency Train | “Our service will be much faster than many trains in Europe.”

The train service that will connect Quebec to Toronto will be “much faster than many trains in Europe,” promised Martin Emblo, president and CEO of the VIA Rail subsidiary responsible for this massive project, in an interview with Journalism.

The latter has been in office since September 8, and also pledges to “try” to develop sections in which cars can travel at speeds exceeding 200 km/h and will bury the name “high-frequency train (TGF).”

The former president of the Port of Montreal Authority does not hide this: he wants to refocus the discourse that, in his opinion, has “unfortunately” crystallized around the issue of hesitation, which has cast doubt on other aspects of the project.

“We need three elements,” he explains. It should be faster, more reliable and [le train] frequent. Speed ​​is necessary, but not sufficient by itself. »

The multi-billion dollar project – for which the call for bids was officially launched last Friday – will be renamed. Its new name will be revealed soon. The VIA TGF account, the entity responsible for the development, will remain the same.

Because Canada is the only G7 country without a high-speed train (TGV) — which can travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h — voices have been rising, especially in Quebec, to demand that the Trudeau government consider this option. This scenario, considered too expensive, which could cost up to $80 billion, has been ruled out by Ottawa.

Mr. Emplo says what’s on the table is no consolation prize. He even went so far as to say that the railway project that would connect Quebec, Montreal and Toronto would have nothing to envy from what we see on the Old Continent.

“I take these trains in Europe, and our service will be much faster than many trains in Europe,” Mr. Emplo says. We are used to [caractère] European train countryside, but we don’t know that here. »

Open door

First, the issue of high speed will be studied. Under the “baseline” scenario, trains will operate at maximum speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour on passenger-only railway lines. The flight between the capital and Queen City takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes. However, the three selected federations will have to propose a more ambitious scenario in which it will be possible to target sections where cars can go faster.

He added: “The mandate given to us is yes, there is a four-hour scenario [entre Montréal et Toronto], but also the 3:30 a.m. scenario, Mr. Emplo says. Before releasing an exact number, we will see where and how we can be faster. The minimum is 200 km/h, but we will try to be faster. »

Is there a “good comparison” with what could be seen in Canada? The road connects Paris (France), Brussels (Belgium) and Amsterdam (Netherlands), according to the head of VIA TGF. On the Old Continent, trains connect Paris and Brussels in about 90 minutes, reaching speeds of about 300 km/h. It then takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete the remaining 200 kilometers to Amsterdam, a journey that includes several stops.

On average, trains travel at 156 km/h across the entire network.

The example given by Mr. Emplo does not mean that trains will travel at 300 km/h in Canada. Rather, it reflects the coexistence of high-speed sections and more frequent stops in other sections.

More than one item

It’s not just the speed of the trolleys that will reduce travel time, insists VIA TGF’s president and CEO. We must also be able to get in and out of urban centers as quickly as possible.

“When you take the train today to leave Montreal, the first 15 to 20 minutes are long,” Mr. Emplo confirms. Why ? You are driving at a low speed because it takes a long time to get out of the central station. A train running at 250 km/h for half an hour is not the only thing that will save time. »

These answers will come in the pre-project phase which will be implemented with the particular group that will be selected at the end of the call for bids. At this stage of the process, the VIA TGF Director is not willing to make any promises or advance estimates of cost and schedule. On those last two aspects, he says, there is “100% chance of error” at the moment.

The calculations he made Journalism It is estimated that the “high-speed semi-train”, with high-speed sections on 60% of the track, would cost $62 billion. In the case of the TGF, the bill will fluctuate between $28 and $35 billion.