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Home My WebLink AboutCAO 03-22 Pl(KERJNG Report to Council Report Number: CAO 03-22 Date: March 28, 2022 From: Fiaz Jadoon Director, Economic Development & Strategic Projects Subject: High Frequency Rail -Development of a Business Case and Concept Plan -File: A-1440 Recommendation: 1. That Council receive Report Number CAO 03-22 from the Director, Economic Development & Strategic Projects regarding the development of a business case and concept plan for a High Frequency Rail (HFR) station in Pickering through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for information; 2. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report; and 3. That the City Clerk forward a copy of Report Number CAO 03-22 to the Region of Durham’s Office of the CAO and Planning & Economic Development Department. Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to inform Council that staff will be issuing a Request for Proposal to develop a business case and concept plan for a High Frequency Rail (HFR) station in Pickering. This report will also provide an overview on the status of VIA Rail Canada’s (VIA) proposal to Transport Canada to build an HFR line between the Toronto-Quebec City corridor. Over the last six years, VIA has advocated for an HFR line along the eastern Greater Toronto Area (GTA) corridor as a solution to passenger train delays and inefficiencies. VIA, Metrolinx, Canadian National (CN), and Canadian Pacific (CP) currently share the existing rail line infrastructure between Toronto and Quebec City for the movement of passengers and goods, which causes further inefficiencies for VIA to meet passenger demands. As a solution, VIA is proposing an HFR line to reduce congestion and create a more sustainable and rapid operating system. The HFR line is proposed on the CP Havelock line which operates from Toronto (Agincourt) to Havelock, east of Peterborough, Ontario. The most up to date plans by VIA and the Joint Project Office (JPO) do not identify any proposed stations within Durham Region. City and Regional staff met with VIA and the JPO in December, 2021 as part of their pre- planning work to engage with local communities. While the JPO is not actively soliciting applications for additional stations, the June 2021 procurement announcement for the project noted that additional stations between Toronto and Quebec City may be added in consultation with communities. At the December 2021 meeting, City and Regional Staff discussed the CAO 03-22 March 28, 2022 Subject: High Frequency Rail Page 2 potential opportunity for an HFR station in Pickering and received positive feedback from VIA and the JPO. City staff will be collaborating with the Region of Durham to retain a specialized consultant group to develop a business case and concept plan that would highlight the strategic, economic, and financial benefits of an HFR station in Pickering. Staff are confident that the Federal Pickering Lands are the best location in Durham to house a station and serve the Region and surrounding communities. The subject lands are designated for a future airport and other economic development opportunities. The cost of this project will be funded from the Economic Development and Strategic Project’s Consulting budget (502230.10000.0000). The Region is supportive of cost-sharing fifty-percent of this work to an upset limit of $60,000, for a total net project cost of $120,000. Discussion: VIA Rail Canada (VIA) offers passenger rail service to millions of riders across Canada. The Toronto-Quebec City corridor is VIA’s busiest passageway with 3.6 million riders in 2019 alone. VIA’s service continues to experience an increase in delays due to congestion caused by other operators, such as Metrolinx, Canadian Pacific (CP), and Canadian National (CN), that utilize the same rail lines to move people and goods. In 2016, VIA submitted a proposal to the federal government for a High Frequency Rail (HFR) service between the Toronto to Quebec City corridor using the CP Havelock line. This proposal suggested dedicated rail lines for passenger service to bypass current issues and delays with freight trains on shared lines. The separation of passenger and freight rail operations will allow for more frequent trips, reduce travel times by up to 25 percent and improve on-time performance to over 95 percent. In 2019, Transport Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) agreed to jointly fund $71.1 million for pre-planning work to explore VIA’s proposal for HFR between the Toronto- Quebec City corridor. The funding was used to create the Joint Project Office (JPO) to explore the opportunities of an HFR. Their mandate was to focus on: • finalizing legal and regulatory work related to safety and environmental assessments; • consulting with stakeholders and Indigenous communities; • examine required land and track acquisition; • and completing the technical, financial and commercial analysis required for final investment decision on HFR. To date, the HFR business case is under development, however, according to VIA officials, the HFR project allows for new communities to be connected to major urban centres, creating substantial economic impact, and more capacity for sustainable transportation for both people and goods, as well as the opportunity to optimize current services. On July 6, 2021 the Federal government announced plans for a new HFR line along the Toronto-Quebec City corridor (See attachment #1). Their plan was to begin consultations with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry professionals during summer 2021 and CAO 03-22 March 28, 2022 Subject: High Frequency Rail Page 3 start procurement for the project in late fall 2021, however, this plan was delayed due to the federal election in September 2021. City of Pickering’s Economic Development & Strategic Projects Department has been working together with the Region of Durham’s Planning & Economic Development department to connect with VIA and the JPO to propose an HFR station in Pickering as part of their plan. City and Regional staff met with the JPO in late December 2021 as part of their consultation process to provide valuable feedback regarding the project. In this meeting, City staff outlined the need for an HFR station along the Federal Pickering Lands in order to broaden connectivity for Durham and adjacent communities. The proposed area is included in attachment #2. The JPO acknowledged the request and offered to continue discussions in 2022. Durham Region is experiencing significant growth, and is forecasted to reach a population of 1.3 million by 2051. The Durham GO stations along the CN line are among the busiest in the network, demonstrating that the residents of this region are committed to travel by rail. A preliminary analysis conducted by Regional transportation planning staff determined that central Pickering is the most suitable location in Durham for an HFR station. Located on the Federal Pickering Lands, it is the only area within Durham where the CP Havelock line is within the Urban Area Boundary. Over 1.4 million people and 1.9 million jobs are currently located within a 30 minute drive of this location. Within the next 10 years, this number is projected to increase to approximately 1.7 million people and 2.5 million jobs, respectively. An HFR station in Pickering will benefit the Region and surrounding communities as a whole. The HFR will reduce the traffic flow along the Toronto-Quebec City corridor by offering an additional transportation option. It will also lower greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the connection across eastern Ontario in synergy with the potential future airport and its economic opportunities, and create jobs in the area. The goal of the business case and the concept plan will be to include the Federal Pickering Lands in JPO’s initial Environment Assessment process, so that an HFR station could be considered for development in Pickering. City staff will collaborate with the Region to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) that seeks the services of a consultant group to develop a business case and concept plan for an HFR station in Pickering to be submitted to the JPO for consideration. The award of the RFP will be returned to Council for approval, subject to Section 10 of the City’s Purchasing Policy (PUR 010). City and Regional staff have confirmed a fifty percent cost-sharing approach, wherein the Region has committed up to $60,000 (City share $60,000) for a total net project cost of $120,000. The business case and concept plan will outline the strategic and economic benefits of locating a station stop in Pickering, including potential ridership, and identify key financial and operational considerations. This will be a valuable opportunity for the City and Region to support an HFR station in Pickering and create long- term sustainable solutions to transportation in Durham Region. CAO 03-22 March 28, 2022 Subject: High Frequency Rail Page 4 Attachments: 1.Proposed HFR Network Map 2.Potential Site for HFR Station in Pickering Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By: Original Signed By:Original Signed By: Taaha Javed Fiaz Jadoon Ec.D.,CEcD, MPM, B. COMM (Hons) Economic Development & Strategic Projects Director, Economic Development Associate & Strategic Projects TJ:tj Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council Marisa Carpino, M.A. Chief Administrative Officer Original Signed By: