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Communities in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) are going to focus together rather than apart on the Alto high-speed rail project planned to cross through them.

Rather than eight different municipalities addressing the project individually, members at Wednesday’s council meeting voted to take a unified stance to gather information and identify challenges.

“It’s not a question of whether we’re for or against the train. It’s coming whether we like it or not and that’s what we have to deal with,” UCPR Warden Mario Zanth said after the meeting. 

“One voice is better than none, because right now we have none,” said Hawkesbury east Mayor Robert Kirby in a French interview.

The high-speed rail corridor would stretch from Toronto to Quebec City when finished, with electric trains reaching speeds of 300km/h cutting the time it takes to travel on land rather than flying.

The project is estimated to cost between $60 and $90 billion. Construction would start between Ottawa and Montreal around the end of this decade.

“What we want to do is be sure that we protect our citizens, make sure that the farmers are well compensated … [for] the land lost for the rest of their lives,” said Zanth, who is also mayor of Clarence-Rockland.

As part of public consultations, Alto has released broad corridors it’s looking at for its track. UCPR communities such as Alfred, Bourget, Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill are included.

Its president and CEO said last month they want to be able to share a detailed route by the end of 2026.

Compensation for road changes and recreational trails are also among his priorities, including rebuilding trails if demolished. 

Zanth is proposing to have a representative from eastern and western communities on the committee, with rural and urban voices at the table.

“My purpose is to ensure that … their station in Ottawa has infrastructure available to meet the needs of our potential, whatever shuttle or whatever kind of transportation, so that our people have access to their stations,” said Casselman Mayor Geneviève Lajoie.  

Municipalities can vote to express displeasure or opposition to Alto but do not ultimately have veto power over the route. High-speed rail is part of the federal C-15 budget bill working its way through the House and Senate.

WATCH | One of the Alto meetings in Vankleek Hill last month:

How residents in rural communities outside of Ottawa feel about the new high-speed rail project

CBC’s Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang went to a public consultation in Vankleek Hill put on by Alto, the Crown corporation leading the project. It says the first leg will be built between Montreal and Ottawa, which would mean the route will likely pass through that area.