Opposition to High-Frequency Concept Led to VIA Affiliate’s Shift to High Speed Rail

The Alto project was born from the "general disinterest" for the high frequency network announced in 2021.

Opposition to high-frequency concept led to VIA affiliate’s shift to high speed rail

MONTREAL — A VIA Rail Canada subsidiary paid more than Ca$330,000 to a marketing firm to rebrand itself as part of the effort to shift its high-frequency rail project to high speed rail after discovering little support for the original concept, the Canadian Press reports. Documents obtained by the news service show that the VIA HFR, the spinoff involved in the plan for a passenger-only route between Toronto and Quebec City, was concerned about “…

Via Rail subsidiary paid marketing firm more than $330,000 to rebrand passenger rail project

Documents detail how the Crown corporation, concerned about disinterest in a high-frequency rail corridor, decided to change its name and pivot to high-speed rail

MONTRÉAL — VIA Rail's subsidiary paid more than $330,000 to a Quebec marketing agency to rename a passenger train project between Toronto and Quebec City and to increase its popularity. Documents obtained by La Presse canadienne detail how the company, concerned about the "general disinterest" in a high-frequency rail corridor announced in 2021, decided to change its name and turn to the high-speed train. As part of this change, VIA Rail's subsi…