Smiths Falls to be bypassed in early high-speed rail plans; VIA connections may play key role
SMITHS FALLS — It’s early in the planning stages, but it appears there will be no high-speed rail stop in Smiths Falls.
Representatives from Alto, the Crown corporation advancing Canada’s high-speed rail proposal, presented the project to Smiths Falls council on Monday, Dec. 8, confirming the route will run through the region but bypass the town as a station location.
Senior director of public and government relations Peter Paz told council the focus remains on seven urban station points with no level crossings: Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières and Québec City.
“We’re focused on the seven station areas right now, because those are required to be connected,” Paz said.
Mayor Shawn Pankow acknowledged the region’s long history of advocacy, referring to past conversations involving regional leaders.
“When I think of a nation-building project, I can’t think of anything more meaningful than this,” Pankow said. “We recognize the merits of having a stop but understand your focus at this time.”
Pankow also noted earlier conversations where a regional stop had been considered.
“We understand that we’re still a long way away from hopping on a train and going in either direction. Regardless, it’s encouraging to see this,” he said. “I’m encouraged by your comment of the 10-12-kilometre window of where this corridor will be. Having a stop here was a probability (in earlier discussions) and of course, that’s still meaningful for us and we’ll be doing all we can to put ourselves on the map and try to help articulate the reasons why we see merit in having a stop in eastern Ontario that’s not Ottawa.”
Paz said any future consideration would require both technical necessity and significant ridership return.
“The main driver is that it’s technically needed. Every time you stop with a high-speed project, it adds more to your journey time. The more stops you add, the slower you are,” he said.
Vice-president of systems and interfaces David Cook added that travel-time competitiveness remains central to the overall business case.
“We’re looking at sub-three-hour journeys between Toronto and Montréal. If you start adding stops, you go above that time, and you become less competitive with airlines.”
Focus on connection, not direct access
With Peterborough and Ottawa identified as the closest access points, councillors emphasized that viable connections will be essential if Smiths Falls is bypassed.
Coun. Jay Brennan said reliable linkage will be key.
“If there’s no stop, we need a dependable linkage by rail,” he said, noting VIA Rail’s role in regional movement.
Paz agreed that integration rather than duplication will be required.
“If you don’t have access to high-speed directly, but you do have access to local services, there has to be a meaningful connection,” he said.
Coun. Peter McKenna asked whether VIA Rail will eventually function as a regional connector rather than parallel passenger service. Cook said that planning will unfold as the project advances.
“It’s one network, not two silos,” he said. “VIA plays an important role in the future of both projects.”
Consultation pushes ahead
A consultation period will run through the winter to March, including open houses and online submissions. Paz noted that nearly 40 deputations have taken place in six weeks.
Any expansion of station stops, he reiterated, will be governed by technical justification rather than political appeal.
Responding to a question from Coun. Chris McGuire about speed, Cook said 300-to-350 km/h systems are well established globally, while 450 km/h and Maglev technologies remain costly and experimental.
“The energy required to get to those speeds and the wear and tear on infrastructure increases exponentially,” he said. “We’re trying to implement something proven that can be delivered here.”
The project remains in its development stage, with detailed design, corridor establishment, Indigenous consultation and environmental work underway.
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