A proposed Montreal high-speed train station could be moved outside of the downtown, says the railway project’s leader.

The station is slated to be part of a high-speed rail line stretching along about 1,000 kilometres of dedicated and electrified tracks between Quebec City and Toronto.

An envisioned downtown Toronto station could also be relocated, Martin Imbleau told reporters after speaking Tuesday at a Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal event.

“The initial scheme that we’re considering and discussing is that the stations in Toronto and Montreal would be downtown,” he told reporters after his speech. “I say ‘initial’ because let’s give ourselves some room to manoeuvre to position the infrastructure to ensure that we see a shift in transportation” patterns.”

Imbleau heads Via HFR, a federal Crown corporation that is co-ordinating the project in conjunction with Montreal-based Via Rail, which is slated to operate the railway.

Three finalists are contending to develop the railway. They are are consortia comprised of major Canadian companies and international players: Cadence, Intercity Rail Developers and QConnexION Rail Partners.

Cadence includes Montreal-based La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (through its infrastructure arm), SNC-Lavalin, which has been rebranded as AtkinsRéalis but retained the original legal name; Systra Canada and Keolis Canada.

The Intercity consortium includes, among others, Intercity Development Partners, Toronto-based EllisDon Capital, France’s RATP and Spain’s Renfe Operadora. The third finalist is known as QConnexIOIN Parnters, whose members include Toronto-based Fengate and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, along with others.

The finalists are preparing applications. Via FR wants the consortia to submit proposals that allow trains to reach speeds up to 200 kilometres per hour, similar to European high-speed railways.