Transport Committee on Sept. 20th, 2023

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Thank you for that quick and effective answer.

You mentioned another point in your answer that I find very interesting: you referred to a trip “from downtown to downtown”. So you're sure that we'd have actual access to the core area under what's being proposed and that it wouldn't involve, for example, a stop in Mount Royal or north of the city.

[Martin Imbleau]

The objective is to determine the best economic sites for a maximum number of passengers and to promote intermodality for passengers. We'll find the best sites together with our private partner. Various sites are being considered in every municipality, and we clearly want to promote intermodality in order to promote the service.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

How much time do I have left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

You have 45 seconds, Mr. Barsalou‑Duval.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

I'll see if I can address this matter in 45 seconds. If not, perhaps Mr. Bachrach can explore it.

I've had a question in mind since we started, one that Mr. Johnson may already have touched on. We've jumped from one project manager to another, first VIA Rail, then the Canada Infrastructure Bank and now you. Why these changes of project leader?

[Martin Imbleau]

It's hard for me to discuss the past, and I think this is an evolution.

The mandate we've been given is to build extensive expertise in all fields so we can be a supervisor, manager and watchdog for a project that will be important for Canadians. We have a mandate to protect the money that's invested in this project and to make the best choices for the coming decades.

My first challenge is to attract talent so that they work for us and to build the best global team to manage the best project for Canadians.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Mr. Barsalou‑Duval.

Thank you, Mr. Imbleau.

Finally, to bring us home this evening, we have Mr. Bachrach.

Mr. Bachrach, the floor is yours and you have two minutes and 40 seconds.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to pick up where my colleague Mr. Barsalou-Duval left off, talking about mode share and travel times between major centres.

I met with Via Rail a couple of years ago, before the second iteration of the terms of reference were released and when they were still in charge of the project. They said very clearly to me that they intended to compete with car trips between major centres but that competing and stealing market share from short-haul flights was not on the table. They weren't interested in that.

Now there's some research from the OECD. This is out of France, and I'll just read a quote from it:

Once the journey time by rail exceeds the journey time by air by 1 to 2 hours, the market share drops to about 50% and decreases rapidly thereafter.

I'm wondering, now that higher speeds, at least on portions of the route, are on the table, whether this objective of reducing short-haul flights between major centres is going to be brought into the project as a key objective.

[Martin Imbleau]

I'm not sure if it will be a key objective, but I think it will be a side benefit. If the train takes me from Toronto to Montreal in four hours, definitely I will use the train every time because of the delays and the certainty of being reliable and on time. Directionally speaking, it will probably increase the usage of the—

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I don't fly between Toronto and Montreal a lot, but in your view, would the HFR project deliver what this study says is necessary to capture that market share, not just from rail enthusiasts like yourself but from people who are going to take the easiest and most economical option?

[Martin Imbleau]

Again, it's going to be a personal one. I'm not necessarily a rail fanatic, because I didn't use it before because it was not the service I was expecting. If it's four hours between Toronto and Montreal, I will use the train all the time. I'm expecting the business community, at least, to change their habits, to drop the cars, drop the plane and use the train.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you, Mr. Bachrach.

I agree with Mr. Badawey. That is a good line and a good slogan. You might want to take that down.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here this evening, particularly at this late hour, both those who attended virtually and in person.

Thank you for sharing your expertise with the committee and for contributing to this very important study.

With that I will excuse the witnesses, thank them again and suspend for five minutes as we go in camera to discuss some important issues.

[Proceedings continue in camera]