Faraday endorses proposed Alto high speed rail station in Madoc

By Bill Kilpatrick, reporter

At their Feb. 4 council meeting, Faraday Township council endorsed the forthcoming Alto high speed rail corridor coming soon which will link Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, including having a railway station for the line in Madoc. After discussing it, based in part upon a letter from Centre Hastings Mayor Tom Deline, and a motion passed by Centre Hastings council at their meeting on Jan. 7, Faraday council endorsed a potential Alto high speed rail line station in Madoc at some future date to be decided. For more information on the Alto high speed rail line, go to www.altotrain.ca. CAO Bernice Crocker and Deline comment to The Bancroft Times on this resolution.

Deline sent a letter to Faraday on Jan. 13 regarding the Alto ​h​igh speed rail corridor, inviting their participation and support in this initiative.

“With the federal and provincial governments advancing the rail line, which will be an electrified high speed rail network connecting Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, doesn't include an intermediate station between Peterborough and Ottawa, future expansion is expected to be influenced by ridership potential, regional demand and corridor planning decisions made in the short term, according to Deline.

“Following analysis of population catchments, highway connectivity, and regional travel patterns, Centre Hastings council has endorsed advocacy to identify the Madoc area near the intersection of provincial Hwy. 7 and provincial Hwy. 62 as the preferred future station location along this segment. We believe this location offers direct and tangible benefits to neighbouring municipalities, including yours.

Alto ​h​igh-speed rail service is intended to be a passenger rail line on modern accessible trains with improved operational performance connecting Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois Rivieres, and Quebec City, with speeds of 300 kilometres per hour or more. This line will be on a primarily dedicated and electrified rail network spanning around 1,000 kilometres, connecting millions of Canadians living along the proposed corridor. For more information, go to www.altotrain.ca.

A future Alto station at Madoc would function as a shared regional access point, not a single municipality asset. Key benefits would include: High speed rail access within 45 to 75 minutes for residents and businesses in surrounding municipalities, without requiring travel to Ottawa, Kingston or the GTA, improved access to employment markets, post-secondary institutions, health services, and government services in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, tourism growth by making eastern Ontario communities easier to reach for visitors without cars, economic development and labour mobility particularly for employers seeking access to a broader workforce, and reduced dependence on long distance driving supporting climate objectives and improving transportation safety.

Deline further stressed that Madoc's location along Hwy. 62, a continuous north-south provincial corridor, combined with Hwy. 7 allows it to efficiently serve communities in all directions, including the Belleville-Quinte region, Prince Edward County, North Hastings communities​, and cottage country areas. It would not be about competition between municipalities​, but would ensure that the entire region collectively benefits from this new ​​high speed rail endeavor.

“By advocating together for a future station-ready location at Madoc, neighbouring municipalities can help ensure that Alto planning preserves flexibility for future service expansion, rural and small-town Ontario is not bypassed by high speed rail investments​, and the broader region is positioned to capture economic and mobility benefits when future phases are considered. For Prince Edward County specifically, a Madoc area Alto station would represent the closest and most practical access point to high speed rail. PEC currently has no passenger rail service and relies heavily on Belleville and Hwy. 62 for inland travel. A Madoc station would provide PEC residents, businesses​, and visitors with a reliable alternative to long car trips to Ottawa, Toronto​, and Montreal while supporting the County's tourism-based economy and seasonal travel demands. For the Belleville-Quinte West region, a Madoc area Alto station would function as a strategic option, providing residents and businesses with faster access to Ottawa and Montreal without the need to travel east to Kingston or west toward the GTA. This would strengthen Belleville's role as a regional aggregation hub and support economic diversification and workplace mobility. For northern Hastings County and cottage country communities, a Madoc area station would offer the most direct connection to ​h​igh-speed rail, reducing long distance driving for residents, second home owners, and visitors. This improves year-round accessibility, supports tourism​, and enhances safety on regional highways. For surrounding rural municipalities, a Madoc area Alto station would provide equitable access to national transportation infrastructure that would otherwise be concentrated in major urban centres. Shared access supports local economic development, improves connectivity for residents without requiring significant local infrastructure investment, and strengthens the collective voice of the region in senior government decision making,” he says.

Centre Hastings council passed the motion #RC/01/07-7-2026 at their January meeting​, and it read as follows;

Whereas the governments of Canada and Ontario are advancing the Alto High Speed Rail project to improve intercity connectivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions​, and support economic growth

And whereas current Alto plans do not include a station between Peterborough and Ottawa

And whereas the Madoc area, located at the intersection of Provincial H​wy. 7 and Provincial H​wy. 62 is uniquely positioned as the only location along this corridor where a full provincial highway provides bi-directional north-south access, extending to Belleville, Prince Edward County, Highway 401, and north to Bancroft and Ontario's cottage country communities

And whereas a future Alto station at Madoc would serve a large regional catchment including Hastings County, the Belleville-Quinte West, Prince Edward County, and northern tourism regions, representing an effective population exceeding 190,000 residents, excluding seasonal populations

And whereas such a station would advance Alto's objectives related to sustainability, regional equity, tourism​, and economic development

Now therefore be it resolved that the council of the Municipality of Centre Hastings hereby;

Supports the identification of the Madoc/Hwy. 62 corridor as the preferred intermediate station location between Peterborough and Ottawa on the Alto High Speed Rail corridor, requests that the governments of Canada and Ontario ensure current corridor planning preserves a station ready envelope in the Madoc area to allow for future expansion and directs staff to forward this resolution to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Transport, the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Transportation, the local members of Parliament, Alto project leadership, Hastings County, Prince Edward County and neighbouring municipalities.

However, opponents to the Alto ​h​igh-speed rail initiative argue that it will lead to lower VIA Rail ridership and possibly service cuts through Kingston and other towns in southern Ontario. Alto counters that the services of VIA Rail will eventually be integrated with the high speed rail line, and the creation of such offers the opportunity for service improvement on these existing rail ​r​outes to better address needs locally.

Deline invited Faraday council to consider endorsing the regional advocacy position through a council resolution or a letter of support, and to join Centre Hastings and other neighbouring municipalities in communicating the shared regional value of future Alto access via the Madoc, provincial Hwy. 7 and provincial Hwy. 62 area.

“Thank you for your consideration and for your continued collaboration on matters of regional importance,” he says.

After discussing this initiative, including Deline's letter, Faraday council decided to fully support it, offering a council resolution and a forthcoming letter of support.

Deline told The Bancroft Times on Feb. 11 that they've asked AI County municipalities, Hastings County, Belleville, Quinte West​, and Prince Edward to support this future station idea in Madoc if the project is approved.

“We are not necessarily supporting high speed rail​, but assume they will get approval,” he says.

Crocker told The Bancroft Times on Jan. 10 that the township sent out a letter of support to the federal Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon, and cc'd Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the Ontario Minister of Transportion Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, MP for Hastings Lennox and Addington Shelby Kramp-Neuman, MPP for Hastings Lennox and Addington Ric Bresee, MP for Bay of Quinte Christopher Malette, MPP for Bay of Quinte Tyler Allsopp, Joel Wiebe senior advisor for Alto High Speed Rail, the Alto High Speed Rail Project Office and the Alto High Speed Rail Project media office.

“I think the discussion went well and appreciated the fact that council supported this request from the Municipality of Centre Hastings.”