Martin Imbleau, 51, has just taken control of VIA TGF, a subsidiary of VIA Rail that wants to build an express train between Quebec and Toronto. Just before the conversation with The newspaperOn Friday he returned by plane from Toronto, but his flight was delayed, as if to remind us what an appeal a reliable train would have…
• Also read: La Caisse boards the high-frequency train
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You had a good job as CEO of the Port of Montreal. What motivated you to take on this project that had been dragging on for so many years?
Things have been progressing smoothly for just over a year because we have significant support from the (federal) government and enthusiasm from communities almost everywhere, which wasn’t necessarily the case before. People are beginning to understand that this is not only a desirable project, but also an absolute necessity for the economy. I was interested in it for more personal reasons, including because I have spent most of my life developing infrastructure [principalement chez Énergir].
Martin Imbleau Photo provided by VIA TGF
Should we mourn the TGV?
We don’t grieve for anything. There are many definitions of an express train. There are some with 180, 200, 220, 240, 350 km/h… We want a train that has a maximum speed of at least 200 km/h, but we will work with the consortium selected in developing segments , which can go beyond that – 220, 230 km/h. It may not be as fast as the famous French TGV, but it is still an express train in the European sense. Because of the name TGF (High Frequency Train), people have the impression that we are developing a train that only runs frequently, but my mission is to develop reliable rail transport because it runs on special tracks that run frequently because we do will double the number of departures and do it quickly because we will increase speed and reduce travel times.
How long will it take to get from Montreal to Toronto?
We don’t have a specific goal because we have to deal with the constraints. But there are scenarios, now theoretical, where we are able to travel Toronto-Montreal in 3 hours 30 minutes and Quebec City-Montreal in 2 hours 30 minutes or even 2 hours 15 minutes. Getting in and out of city centers is difficult and takes a long time. So even if we have a very fast train that takes 20, 25 minutes to get in and out of Toronto and Montreal, the speed won’t be enough. We also need to find ways to get in and out of cities as quickly as possible.
Is there a risk that we will abandon Quebec and Trois-Rivières to concentrate on the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto segment?
I don’t see any risk because the mandate I have actually covers 1000 kilometers, including Quebec and Toronto. These are three capitals and the two largest metropolises in Canada that are currently not efficiently connected to each other.
How much will it cost?
It is a unique project, the project of a generation. This is a project that will involve significant costs, but I will not comment on that. I would be lying to you if I gave you a cost range. The corridor is defined, but nothing else. The stations are not defined, nor is the scope of the project, nor the technology or the number of intersections. We will talk about the costs once we have a sufficient technical level and have spoken to communities and First Nations.
You say you have to “press slowly”, what does that mean?
Every day you have to decide something, but you have to be patient in the long term. This is a recipe I have been following for 25 years.
Can you give us an idea of when we can board this train?
We can hope that the next generation doesn’t have two cars, that maybe they don’t have a car at all. That she won’t take the plane for short distances, but an electric train. More specifically, we can imagine a four or five year development period and then the time needed for construction. We will have more credible timelines as the project progresses.
Do you think you can keep the project alive if the Conservatives take power in Ottawa?
It’s not my job to convince the government. But what is the alternative to this project? Build more highways with more tanks, leading to more congestion, more costs and less productivity? We can’t wake up in 30 or 40 years and say we missed something. I have no concerns about this project being co-opted by all political persuasions.
The new cars from VIA were built in California, those from REM in India. Would you like the express trains to be in Canada, in Quebec?
The investments in civil engineering in this project are immense. The greatest economic benefit will come from building infrastructure. Rolling stock is not an afterthought, but it is not the most important investment. Then we are subject to international conventions and therefore have to ensure that we remain competitive. There is expertise in Canada, but also elsewhere. That’s why we let the market play.
►The federal government is giving itself until the end of 2024 to select the consortium that will be responsible for the development of the project (three groups have shown interest, including one that includes the Caisse de dépôt and AtkinsRéalis, and another that also WSP Global).
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