Alto Weighs Secondary Toronto Station to Capture 7.1 Million Greater Area Commuters

A Toronto-area station outside downtown Toronto could be added to Canada’s proposed high-speed rail line. It would give the route a possible suburban access point while construction into downtown continues. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Why a Toronto-area station is being considered?

Martin Imbleau is chief executive of Crown corporation Alto, which is leading the project. He told The Canadian Press that Toronto “will probably require a secondary station.”

He said the issue is tied to downtown Toronto tunneling. That work will probably take longer. Also, a suburban station could connect passengers with the line to Montreal and Quebec City. That access could come before the downtown segment is complete.

At the same time, Imbleau pointed to the size of the Toronto market. “The ridership is big in Toronto and the region is so large that a secondary station is probably worthwhile.” Macrotrends estimates the Greater Toronto Area’s current population at about 7.1 million. That is more than 2.3 million above Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city.

Alto high-speed rail plans still await detail

For example, a similar approach is planned for another high-speed rail project, at least temporarily. In the United Kingdom, HS2 plans to initially terminate at Old Oak Common. The station is about 5 miles west of London Euston, the project’s intended goal. Service there could start in 2030, while tunneling to Euston could take another five years.

Separately, Alto has not released exact plans for its proposed 1,000-kilometer, or 620-mile, route. Those details are expected in the fall, the company has said. That follows the end of its initial public consultation period last week.

Separately, station access is also a challenge in Montreal. Earlier this year, Alto said a downtown Montreal station could require a tunnel. It could be more than 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles.

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