Airline involvement in high-frequency passenger rail project ‘makes a lot of sense,’ says CEO after Air Canada joins bid

Airline and airport interest in a massive new passenger rail project is being viewed as a welcome development by Martin Imbleau, CEO of the federal government’s high-frequency rail project, after Air Canada joined one of the three groups proposing to build new dedicated tracks between Toronto and Quebec City. Three preselected consortiums submitted private bids late last month outlining their plans to build and operate the proposed new passenger rail line. Each of the three bids was required to present two options: one using traditional passenger trains and a second option that includes at least some high-speed rail segments. One of the consortiums, a group called Cadence that includes the infrastructure division of Quebec’s pension fund and AtkinsRéalis, the new name for SNC-Lavalin, revealed at the last minute that its team added two new high-profile members: Air Canada AC-T and SNCF Voyageurs, a major French provider of high-speed rail services in Europe. Federal officials are now reviewing the three bids and cabinet is expected to select a winner before the end of the year. While Ottawa has approved hundreds of millions in funding to study the project, cabinet has not yet provided a final green light. No price tag for the project has yet been announced, but it is expected to be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canadian history.<br/>