The TGF project between Quebec and Toronto is progressing as planned, says Martin Imbleau

The high-frequency train project between Quebec and Toronto is progressing as planned, assures the president and CEO of VIA TGF, Martin Imbleau, who however refuses to comment on the impact that federal elections and a change could have of government on what happens next.

The three consortia pre-selected last year (Cadence, Interurban Rail Developers and QConnexiON Rail Partners) submitted their proposals this summer. The evaluation process is underway to choose the partner who will co-develop the future train with VIA TGF, a subsidiary of VIA Rail.

The Liberal government is expected to announce its decision by the end of the year.

We are meeting our deadlines and things are going wellsaid Mr. Imbleau in an interview with The Canadian Press on Tuesday. He summarized one of the messages delivered earlier in the day during a speech to members of the Canadian Club of Ottawa.

When asked in an interview if he believed that the possible triggering of a federal election in the coming weeks could delay this step and harm the progress of the project, Mr. Imbleau did not want to comment.

I don’t do politics. […] We are focused on doing our job, meeting our deadline and developing a project that Canadians will be proud of. I will not get into political speculationhe replied.

I have a calendar. The announcement [sur le choix du consortium] doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to the government. We will let them make their decision in due course.

Also refusing to comment on the fate of the TGF in the case of a conservative government, he maintained that his organization speak to all elected officials along the rail corridor targeted by the project, where all political parties are represented.

We hear significant support growing behind this project because it is transformational. People understand more and more that having a fast train will change their lives when it comes to getting around. It will reduce their transportation costs because they will have a train that will reduce their travel time by 50%. […] This message is starting to percolateargued Mr. Imbleau.

The 1,000-kilometer rail corridor is expected to connect seven cities, including Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

More ambitious than a TGV?

The three consortia had to present two scenarios: a basic solution at 200 kilometers/hour and another to see if it would be possible to go faster on certain portions of the route.

Several voices calling for the establishment of a high-speed train (TGV), as in certain European countries, have been raised for some time.

According to Mr. Imbleau, the TGF project could perhaps prove to be more ambitious than a TGV.

If you look at the TGV travel times in France, out of around a hundred sections, there aren’t even 20 that exceed 200 kilometers/hour. It’s still called a TGV.

What we are asking from the consortia is solutions that must reach 200 km/h and other solutions that exceed this level, therefore much faster.

The head of the federal state company, however, recalls that the most important thing remains to reduce travel times as much as possible, and not top speed.

Because going 350 km/h for 10% of the journey is not a winevokes Mr. Imbleau. The service must also be designed to limit the number of stops, increase the frequency, ensure reliability and have the most direct routes possible, he argues.

The precise cost of the future train remains unknown for the moment, as does the time of its entry into service, although some estimates have already circulated in the past. According to Mr. Imbleau, it is currently risky to go into too much detailbecause the outline of the project is not yet sufficiently defined.

Timelines and cost estimates will be disclosed once development work with the chosen consortium has further advanced, he said.

Last winter before the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Mr. Imbleau declared that this information would not be known in the first months of the co-development phasewhich could last three to four years.