RC105 MarApr2023 - Magazine - Page 32
TRANSPORTATION
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING
Canada’s High Frequency Rail project needs more transparency
by Terry Johnson and Peter Miasek
IGH FREQUENCY RAIL gathering steam,” bureaucrats said at the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships at the November
2022 conference. It followed an article in
the Toronto Star, a day earlier, reporting
that the cost of the 15-kilometre Ontario
Line subway in Toronto has ballooned from $10.9 to $19
billion and may yet go higher.
While High Frequency Rail (HFR) and the Ontario Line
are very distinct projects, the common issue is the need for
realistic, up-front costing. It’s been theorized that many
Canadian infrastructure projects would never get off
the ground if the absolute truth on final scope and price
tag was known at the outset and while we have become
accustomed to seeing up to 50 per cent cost overruns, the
Ontario Line appears likely to top this. Taxpayers deserve
improved accuracy and transparency.
In 2017, VIA Rail’s HFR project saw estimates of between $4 and $6.6 billion for a new 800-kilometre passenger-only service between Toronto and Québec City by way
of Peterborough and Smiths Falls. The lower of the two
estimates was for diesel propulsion likely using the new
trainsets currently being delivered to VIA Rail. The higher
amount was for electric or hybrid propulsion. A top speed
of 177 kilometres per hour (kph) meant that at-grade road
crossings could be retained according to current Transport Canada rules. It was also based on using the existing
route alignment and eking out whatever speed increases it
would safely allow.
The proposed route along the long-abandoned, meandering CP Havelock subdivision between Toronto and
Smiths Falls and passing through suburban areas of the
GTA, Montréal and Québec City will be extremely challenging from cost and deliverability standpoints especially
with train operating speeds above that available from
the existing track bed. The March 2022 Transport Canada
Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) procurement
document cites speeds “up to 200 kph” with remarks in
the updated RFEOI that even higher speeds will be considered. Capital costs can be expected to escalate dramatically if a maximum train speed above the original 200 kph
is adopted due to the need for precision track.
Building on the old Havelock subdivision to accommodate maximum speeds above 177 kph will be challenging because of the need for wide radius curves to
“H
Terry Johnson is the
president of Transport
Action Canada.
Peter Miasek is the
president of Transport
Action Ontario.
32
RENEW CANADA – MARCH/APRIL 2023
maintain high train speeds and the uncertain geology of
the Canadian Shield, adjacent glacial till, and the protected Frontenac Arch region over which the preliminary
route is envisaged. Very intensive subterranean and land
surveying will be required to minimize the likelihood of
surprise problems such as sinkholes that can incur major
unplanned costs and project delays. Climate-hardening is
also essential.
If HFR is to be time-competitive with driving and flying
VIA HFR INC.
To deliver an enhanced passenger experience that would provide
more frequent, faster, and more reliable service on modern
accessible trains with improved operational performance in
Canada’s most densely populated region, the Government of
Canada is advancing the High Frequency Rail (HFR) project,
covering Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Trois-Rivières
and Québec City.
Quebec City
HFR Toronto-Quebec
City Corridor
Jean Lesage Airport
Trois-Rivières
Gare de la Concorde
Ottawa
Fallowfields
Smith Falls
Alexanderia
Drummondville
St-Hyacinthe
Montreal
Dorval
Cornwall
Brockville
Peterborough
Oshawa
Kingston
Belleville
HFR
VIA’s existing services
Toronto
In December 2022, Transport Canada announced that VIA Rail
Inc. has incorporated VIA HFR as a new, wholly owned subsidiary
to manage the development and delivery for the new HFR project
and act as a dedicated project office and appointed three
founding directors to its Board of Directors: Robert Prichard,
Marie-José Nadeau, and Robert Fonberg.
“The incorporation of VIA HFR and its role as a dedicated
Project Development Office is an important step in the realization
of High Frequency Rail in Canada,” said Minister of Transport
Omar Alghabra. “I thank VIA Rail for its role in creating VIA HFR
and its continued support for the project, and I am pleased that
Messrs. Prichard and Fonberg and Ms. Nadeau have agreed to
serve as the founding members of the Board of Directors. VIA HFR
is now well-positioned to lead the biggest Canadian infrastructure
project of the century.”
RENEWCANADA.NET
