Question Period Note: CANADA INFRASTRUCTURE BANK VIA HIGH FREQUENCY RAIL

What progress has been made to support the creation of high frequency rail for the Toronto-Quebec City corridor?

• Our Government is committed to supporting VIA in bringing high frequency rail in the Toronto to Quebec City corridor.

• A key step has been the announcement of the creation of the HFR Joint Project Office between VIA and the Canada Infrastructure Bank to move forward with next steps on the de-risking and pre-procurement activities.

• These activities will help position the Government to make a final investment decision on the HFR project.

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank is investing $55 million to support development of the HFR joint office and its activities.

• VIA currently operates on shared infrastructure with freight operators, resulting in congestion on conventional tracks, limited frequencies, and poor on-time performance. These impacts therefore constrain the ability of VIA’s intercity passenger rail service to be an effective and reliable mobility option for Canadians.

• In response to these challenges, in 2016, VIA put forward a proposal for HFR between Toronto and Quebec City. A cornerstone of the HFR project is a proposed investment in dedicated tracks exclusive to its services to allow for more frequent, faster and reliable service throughout every day.

• Transport Canada has worked with VIA, the CIB and Finance Canada to conduct an in-depth assessment of VIA’s HFR proposal. In June 2019, the Government committed $71.1 million (including $55 million from the CIB) through a Joint Project Office, to undertake pre-procurement and de-risking activities identified by Transport Canada’s due diligence.

• This includes preparation for an environmental assessment and preliminary work on land acquisitions, and stakeholder engagement, including consultations with Indigenous communities.

• The project includes interfaces with other operators, primarily as it enters major cities, such as Montreal and Toronto. Interoperability with the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) project in Montreal is a key focus for VIA HFR. Significant analysis and stakeholder engagement are ongoing to ensure both rail systems can operate effectively alongside each other once constructed.

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