Air Canada on July 24th, 2024 announced that it has joined the Cadence team, which has submitted a response to the request for proposals for the High Frequency Rail project. Their late entry into this process has raised concerns among the public.  Air Canada is in direct competition to whoever operates the high-frequency rail line. It is costly and inconvenient to fly.  A frequent passenger rail service on dedicated track going over 225 kilometers per hour, would pose a threat to Air Canada's business. Air Canada has a long and well documented history of protesting against any publically funded Canadian high-speed rail proposals. In 1991 and 1996, Air Canada teamed up with C.P. Rail, to do Joint Studies of High Speed Rail Ridership & Revenues to try and prevent high-speed initiatives in Canada at the time. In 2003, the Air Transport Association of Canada, an association Air Canada is part of, was against the government funding the high-speed JetTrain that was propos...

  On July 10th, 2024, VIA HFR, a federal Crown corporation created in November 2022, had its inaugural Annual Public Meeting (APM). The meeting was bilingual format and it was webcast. The video will be loaded soon and High Speed Rail Canada will let have a link to it and let their followers know where to view it. The meeting featured key presentations from members of the Board of Directors and the CEO. The meeting began with Robert Prichard, Chair of the Board, who outlined the mandate given to VIA HFR by the Government of Canada to create a new passenger rail service linking Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto. He highlighted the significant progress made in the first year, including the formation of a talented management team and strong financial backing from the federal government. Marie-José Nadeau, Vice Chair of the Board, discussed the recruitment efforts to build VIA TGF’s leadership team and emphasized the project’s positive impa...

The first in a series of videos of high-speed train manufacturers that could be an option for Canada has been released. It will be interesting to see what high-speed trainsets are purchased for Canada's new High-Frequency Rail (HFR) project.  The videos are available on the High Speed Rail Canada Youtube Channel . With the increased emphasis now on having speed, as well as high-frequency and reliability, there are a number of high-speed train companies with products suitable for Canada. Siemens ICE 4 Trains The ICE 4, a high-speed train built by Siemens and used by Deutsche Bahn, has a unique and adaptable design that would work in Canada. Each car functions independently, allowing for the assembly of trains with five to fourteen cars to meet the needs of different routes. The ICE 4 is the main train used in Deutsche Bahn's long-distance rail network, replacing older trains and providing better service. The ICE 4 has a modular drive concept, developed with Bombardier, that can ...

ICE - InterCity Express High-Speed Trains in Munich Germany - credit Paul Langan It is refreshing to continually hear Martin Imbleau, the CEO of VIA HFR, speak about the need for speed regarding the Toronto-Quebec City Corridor. During a speech to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Martin Imbleau unveiled an ambitious plan for a rapid passenger rail project between Quebec City and Toronto. This project has seen significant advancements with the establishment of a new federal Crown corporation dedicated solely to its development. It is worth noting that this is the most substantial transportation infrastructure initiative in Canada since the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway more than six decades ago. High Speed Rail Canada Continues to Support Martin Imbleau in his goal for increased speeds for the HFR project. The proposed railway network will span approximately 1,000 kilometers, featuring dedicated tracks that are fully electrified. The route will include stops i...

  Martin Imbleau CEO of VIA HFR is on the Right Track  Martin Imbleau is the CEO of Via HFR Inc., a wholly owned Crown corporation that will report to Parliament through the Minister of Transport. He is giving interviews to the public about the challenges they face implementing faster, modern passenger rail service between Quebec and Ontario. It is refreshing to hear such straightforward, frank, open discussion on the issues facing the High-Frequency Rail project. Mr. Imbleau is quick to highlight the biggest challenge, which is, how to enter and exit the big cities quickly. He also has stated on numerous occasions that “It's not about frequency only. It's about being fast. It's about being reliable.” He even realizes the singular-focused name of the project "High Frequency Rail" needs to be changed. What a difference in Mr. Imbleau’s approach to that of the former VIA Rail CEO Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, now a Siemens employee.  During his tenure at VIA, Desjardi...