Alto partners with TRCA on environmental framework for high-speed rail network

TORONTO – Crown corporation Alto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes a framework to support the development of Canada’s high-speed rail network. It ensures the integration of environmental considerations, watershed management principles, climate resilience measures and mitigation strategies throughout project development, explains a release. The [...] The post Alto partners with TRCA on environmental framework for high-speed rail network appeared first on constructconnect.com .

TORONTO – Crown corporation Alto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes a framework to support the development of Canada’s high-speed rail network. It ensures the integration of environmental considerations, watershed management principles, climate resilience measures and mitigation strategies throughout project development, explains a release. The MOU also provides a foundation for co-ordinated work on planning, environmental assessment and project development activities.

Under the agreement, Alto and TRCA will collaborate across several key areas, including: - Planning and design review. - Modelling and data sharing, enabling informed, science-based decision-making on issues such as flood risk and environmental constraints. - Hazard risk management, including the identification and mitigation of flood and erosion risks.

- Climate resilience and adaptation, incorporating watershed science and natural hazard expertise to support resilient infrastructure. - Restoration and environmental offsetting, including habitat restoration, ecosystem compensation and soil management. - Biodiversity and greenspace management, supporting species at risk.

- Engagement and stewardship, including public education and collaboration through TRCA’s network and facilities. - Property co-ordination, including support with collaboration and permissions for access to public lands within TRCA’s jurisdiction, including those owned by TRCA. Recently, Alto’s consortium partner Cadence, which is made up of CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, SYSTRA Canada, Keolis Canada, SNCF Voyageurs and Air Canada,, launched a market engagement process for Canada’s high-speed rail network as a way to present proposed early procurement activities, anticipated work packages and timelines for the first phase of construction between Ottawa and Montreal.

The proposed rail Toronto-Quebec network would host 72 trains a day running on dedicated electric tracks at speeds breaching 300 km/h.