Reid Urges Ottawa to Scrap Alto Rail Project

Lanark-Frontenac MP Scott Reid says adding a Kingston stop would raise costs and slow travel on the proposed Toronto-to-Quebec City line.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Canada

Reid Urges Ottawa to Scrap Alto Rail Project

Live Poll

Should the federal government keep funding the Alto high-speed rail project?

Lanark-Frontenac MP Scott Reid called on the federal government to abandon the Alto high-speed rail project, citing concerns raised by Kingston mayor-elect Conny Glenn. Reid made the call during a House of Commons exchange, which he shared on his Facebook page.

Why it matters

Reid argues that a Kingston stop would add between $4 billion and $6 billion and extend trips by 20 minutes, while the federal government's parliamentary secretary defends the project as a major investment in Canada's future. The dispute centres on whether the proposed Toronto-to-Quebec City network should include Kingston.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates baseline network construction at $75 billion to $113 billion in 2024 dollars, excluding Kingston. Reid's $4 billion to $6 billion figure for a Kingston stop has not been independently costed, and the feasibility of a projected 90-minute Kingston-to-Toronto trip remains subject to technical review.

The players

Scott Reid

Scott Reid is the Liberal MP for Lanark-Frontenac in Ontario, who has long represented rural and small-town constituencies in the region.

Mike Kelloway

Mike Kelloway is a Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport who has defended federal transportation investments.

Conny Glenn

Conny Glenn is the mayor-elect of Kingston, Ontario, whose questions about the rail project's priorities were cited by Reid.

Parliamentary Budget Officer

The Parliamentary Budget Officer is an independent federal office that provides costing analysis of government spending and proposals for Parliament.

The details

Reid made the call in a House of Commons exchange and cited comments from Kingston mayor-elect Conny Glenn questioning the priority given to the proposed rail network. Liberal parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport Mike Kelloway defended the project as a major investment in Canada's future, while the federal proposal calls for studying a possible Kingston stop connected with VIA Rail.

2024: Dollar basis for the Parliamentary Budget Officer's baseline network cost estimate.
November 2, 2026: Reid's renewed push to scrap Alto is published.

Market Landscape

The Parliamentary Budget Officer's $75 billion to $113 billion baseline estimate for the Alto network, excluding Kingston, sets the cost benchmark against which any added stop is judged. Reid's argument that a Kingston detour would add $4 billion to $6 billion extends that benchmark into a debate over whether intermediate stops are worth their added cost and travel time.

Travellers on the Toronto-Montreal corridor should not expect Alto service soon, since the project is still under debate and its Kingston stop remains a proposal under study. Anyone planning intercity trips in the meantime should continue to plan around existing VIA Rail schedules.

The takeaway

The Kingston stop question shows how a single intermediate station can reshape both the cost and the travel-time case for a major rail project. Readers following the debate should watch for the PBO's assessment of any Kingston route.