Air Canada, TGV train company join group bidding for high-frequency fast rail project

A consortium bidding to become the developers of VIA's new high-frequency electric train network has added two new partners, and it's triggering questions.

Air Canada and French train operator SNCF Voyageur have joined a consortium vying to build and operate a new multi-billion-dollar fast electric train between Windsor, Ont., and Quebec City.

Cadence, one of three groups Ottawa picked in 2023 to submit detailed proposals for the future high-frequency train project, disclosed the last-minute additions of Air Canada and the TGV train operator as it submitted final bid documents to the government in late July.

Canada’s flagship airline, which has historically opposed high-speed rail projects involving cities on its most popular routes in Eastern Canada and Alberta, confirmed involvement but won’t share details, triggering criticism among rail advocates.

Paul Langan, a high-speed rail advocate in Canada for 25 years, welcomed SNCF Voyageur’s addition because it is an experienced train operator across France and Europe.

Air Canada’s move to join Cadence’s team at the last minute doesn’t sit so well, he said.

“It sure is suspect. A direct competitor who has fought against the rails for decades,” Langan said.

“The fact is that they have a well-known history to objecting to anything passenger-railed related.  I think they’re in it to try and control it. They’ll get all this VIA traffic and passenger data,” Langan added. “Certainly, a faster and more efficient rail speed would hurt them.”

What Air Canada gets — and how much it is investing in Cadence — is unclear. The airline said its commitments to the Cadence team “do not require any supplementary disclosure.”