The head of the Crown corporation behind Ottawa’s proposed high speed rail corridor admits the project is “sexy” — but concedes Canadians have reason to be wary of a venture that could cost as much as $90 billion.Blacklock's Reporter says appearing before the Senate national finance committee, Martin Imbleau, CEO of Alto — the renamed VIA High Frequency Rail corporation — acknowledged public skepticism over whether the federal government can deliver the massive infrastructure build on time and on budget.“It should have been built 40 years ago,” Imbleau told senators. “Canadians are suspicious and skeptical about our ability to deliver this.”The proposed electric rail network would see 300-kilometre-per-hour trains run from Toronto through Peterborough and Ottawa to Laval, Montréal, Trois-Rivières and Québec City. The Department of Transport estimated in a June 16 briefing note that costs could range from $60 billion to $90 billion.Imbleau cautioned against calling that figure a firm estimate.“I don’t want to be picky, but to have a cost estimate you need to have a proper level of engineering which we still don’t have,” he said, describing the numbers instead as a “working assumption” based on bidder input and international comparisons. He acknowledged the range is wide because more detailed engineering work remains outstanding.To date, cabinet has budgeted $4.3 billion for preparatory work. Construction is expected to stretch over more than a decade..Sen. Elizabeth Marshall questioned how such a sweeping proposal could move forward without clearer projections.“Sixty billion to 90 billion sounds like a lot of money,” she said, noting no cost-benefit analysis has been released. “You don’t have a handle on the costs yet. You don’t have a handle on the benefits yet.”Imbleau replied the figures represent only an “order of magnitude” at this stage, stressing the project would unfold in phases. The first segment, a 200-kilometre stretch between Montréal and Ottawa with three stations, is slated to begin construction in 2029 and take roughly seven years to complete, entering service around 2037.He said additional segments east toward Trois-Rivières and Québec City and west toward Peterborough and Toronto would begin roughly two years after work starts on the initial link.Imbleau also pointed to the enormous workforce required, estimating the project will need 50,000 workers. Recruitment efforts are already targeting high schools, colleges and universities.“We want to be perceived as being sexy,” he said. “We want the youth of tomorrow to be interested in this project.”.Some senators remained uneasy about the lack of firm numbers.“What is the start date? What is the route? What is the cost?” asked Sen. Krista Ross, saying there appears to be “no certainty” on key details.Sen. Clément Gignac pressed Imbleau on how confident he was in the projected range. The CEO responded that precise costing will only be possible once final routes and engineering plans are complete.“If you have got one hand in the fridge and the other in the oven, you don’t get zero degrees in the middle,” Imbleau said. “Once I have a route planned and the engineering information, then I can come up with a cost estimate.”
