[micheal_can]

I'm not saying it should be.....but in a political climate where many question the public sector's ability to accomplish big projects effectively, and where the overall impact of adding a large amount to the national deficit is questioned, it's the approach that some governments might see as most sellable.
And, if the Alto business case is as good as claimed.... which implies it will generate net income.... it's internally consistent to say, then why shouldn't it be privately funded ?
At the moment the government is proposing privatising our airports.... if that happens, it will be difficult to have a private air undustry competing with a public sector hsr line.... that harks back to the days when privatised CP competed with government owned CN. Few people found that sustainable.
The Alto pitch makes a lot of noise about how Alto will be subsidy free. I take that as a hint that Ottawa is not interested in further subsidising VIA in the corridor. (VIA is only break-even in the corridor when the "express" T-O-M-Q ridership is included - Alto will end that)
Perhaps, in private, they simply intend to offload the legacy system on the provinces. That's not a terrible idea, except that the provinces have even less leverage to deal with freight-passenger conflicts. And it means dismantling VIA as an operating agency, where I would argue VIA is actually a pretty effective operation that is viable going forward.

As I say, it's not what I would prefer, but it's the reality from this observer's vantage point. I would bet a steak dinner on it.

- Paul

It is easy to add provincial service when it is within the province, such as the Northlander, but once you cross a provincial border it becomes a challenge.However, if we take an Amtrak approach where some services are run by Amtrak, but are paid for by the states, that would be good, but it would also cause a problem out of the Corridor where some provinces may want more services. Picture the Prairies or Maritimes wanting a service that does not exist, or wanting what they have increased, and they were willing to pay the subsidy. This is not a bad thing, but Via is not ready for that.

 

[crs1026]

But they don't serve the same communities. The legacy network serves all those in-between stations that alto doesn't.

Even if you take high speed frrom Ottawa to Toronto and you want to go to Belleville, are you going to drive?

If anything legacy services will benefit to connect to Alto?

The two markets are mostly separate. Sure, one could use both to go from Kingston or Belleville to Quebec City, or Drummondville to Ottawa or Toronto......but there aren't many other connection points possible between the two.
The point is, once the government has Alto to brag about, yes it will gladly walk away from the other service. Or leave it for the province to pick up. Just ask places like Niagara or Kitchener-Waterloo how that works.

- Paul

 

[CapitalSeven]

The point is, once the government has Alto to brag about, yes it will gladly walk away from the other service. Or leave it for the province to pick up. Just ask places like Niagara or Kitchener-Waterloo how that works.

- Paul

That's a plausible but very cynical take on it. VIA stated clearly in 2021 that service along the existing route would be maintained and reworked with the notion of Kingston as a hub (and maybe Drummondville) with schedules meant to emphasize service to and from the smaller cities, rather than Montreal-Toronto routes that deigned to stop in a few of them.

• No one has ever said this is no longer the plan.
• The contracting process spelled out that new corporation would also run the legacy services.
• In 2024 the Commons committee affirmed the 2021 general plan regarding the existing services.
• Three months ago, the Senate Transport and Communications committee reported the following, resulting from meetings held in late 2025: The committee raised concerns about how having HSR along the Quebec City–Toronto corridor would affect the viability of VIA Rail’s current services. Transport Canada stated that communities currently served by VIA will continue to be served and that service may be “optimized.” The committee questions that assumption.

While the government has never strayed from the line that legacy services would continue, we of course know that they can always change their minds. They told us for years that HFR was the ticket, offering 2/3 of the benefit at 1/3 of the price. Then they decided HSR was better, largely because the folks who want to earn tens of billions building it told them so. They have never explained how they got it so wrong in the first place. So what happens a few months after HSR starts running? Who knows what they will say or do? We may well be in a state of galloping environmental or political collapse by then, or not. I'm not making any bets.

 

[Bordercollie]

That's a plausible but very cynical take on it. VIA stated clearly in 2021 that service along the existing route would be maintained and reworked with the notion of Kingston as a hub (and maybe Drummondville) with schedules meant to emphasize service to and from the smaller cities, rather than Montreal-Toronto routes that deigned to stop in a few of them.

• No one has ever said this is no longer the plan.
• The contracting process spelled out that new corporation would also run the legacy services.
• In 2024 the Commons committee affirmed the 2021 general plan regarding the existing services.
• Three months ago, the Senate Transport and Communications committee reported the following, resulting from meetings held in late 2025: The committee raised concerns about how having HSR along the Quebec City–Toronto corridor would affect the viability of VIA Rail’s current services. Transport Canada stated that communities currently served by VIA will continue to be served and that service may be “optimized.” The committee questions that assumption.

While the government has never strayed from the line that legacy services would continue, we of course know that they can always change their minds. They told us for years that HFR was the ticket, offering 2/3 of the benefit at 1/3 of the price. Then they decided HSR was better, largely because the folks who want to earn tens of billions building it told them so. They have never explained how they got it so wrong in the first place. So what happens a few months after HSR starts running? Who knows what they will say or do? We may well be in a state of galloping environmental or political collapse by then, or not. I'm not making any bets.

At the same time is a High Speed Ticket is $175 or $200 and a low speed ticket is $69 i bet a lot of students and people on a budget would take the slower route.

 

[lenaitch]

I think the communications vacuum regarding the future of VIA's corridor service, into which speculation has taken root, is on the government, not ALTO. ALTO is a consortium mandated to develop and implement a service, not rub everybody's tummies about how it will impact other services. The government (or VIA with its blessing) should be re-assuring citizens that the corridor service will remain if, in fact, that is its intention.

I haven't read it but the the High Speed Rail Network Act (Bill c-15) will govern how the project will advance. VIA wishes it had a piece of enabling legislation.

The other part of the 'future of VIA' speculation will be the future of the non-corridor services, particularly Regional and Remote. I highly doubt the provinces will be willing to pick up the balls without full and enduring federal funding. While the Long Distance Service (Canadian) would have to be federally regulated, I don't think it necessarily has to be federally (or even provincially) operated. With its strong tourist market, it is possible that something akin to the Rocky Mountaineer could emerge (although I don't know how the 'flag' service in northern Ontario would work).

 

[Mihairokov]

At the same time is a High Speed Ticket is $175 or $200 and a low speed ticket is $69 i bet a lot of students and people on a budget would take the slower route.

That's their prerogative if they so choose it. That's how that selection is made in countries that built out their HSR networks and kept their regional, slower routes. How valuable is your time versus that cost difference?

 

[dowlingm]

Eastern Ontario could lose rail service due to Alto: Reid | Cornwall Standard-Freeholder https://share.google/zL0Zuu8eLoyWxF8zE

Is this fear mongering or lack of understanding of the projects goals?
Nobody said that the traditional VIA service will end once high speed rail is up and running.

Is anyone in Quebec worried that Drummondville service goes once Alto is running on the north shore?

 

[Urban Sky]

Is anyone in Quebec worried that Drummondville service goes once Alto is running on the north shore?

Certainly not as much as they should be. SHYA and DRMV barely justify a single train per day…

 

[nfitz]

Is anyone in Quebec worried that Drummondville service goes once Alto is running on the north shore?

Why wouldn't they expect service cuts, if not abandonment? (Metro) Drummondville is less than 100,000 while VIA already cut all Sherbrooke (225,000) and previous Trois-Riveres (140,000) services, among others.

Jonquiere (Saguenay - 170,000) has had big service cuts, and I don't think abandonment would really surprise anyone.