Federal transport minister says Kingston still in position to be included in Alto plans

Steven MacKinnon was in town to promote his government's fall budget.

Alto is still on track to make a stop in Kingston.

That according federal transport minister Steven MacKinnon who was in town on Thursday (12th) to pitch the Liberal government's fall budget.

MacKinnon says Kingston remains an important hub in Eastern Ontario and wants the city to play a role in the proposed high-speed rail project.

There has been growing opposition to Alto since it was first announced in 2025. 

Many are rural homeowners living in Eastern Ontario concerned about how the line will affect their properties. Others include environmental groups who argue the project will cut through environmentally sensitive land.

Kingston Mayor-Elect Conny Glenn was at the news conference at Partners in Mission Food Bank. She and several councillors have publically expressed their concerns over the project and whether a high-speed rail line would actually benefit Kingston.

MacKinnnon says his government will make sure Alto covers all the bases.

MacKinnon was in Kingston this past June to announce that he has asked Alto to consider a possible route with a stop in the city. At the news conference, MacKinnon says that decision is expected to come down sometime early in 2027.

He says he has no doubt that a stop in Kingston would be postive news.

The proposed high-speed rail line will have over 1,000 kms of rail between Toronto and Quebec City with passenger trains running at speeds of around 300 km/h. 

Story by Ken Hashizume