A major milestone in the development of the high-speed train between Toronto and Québec City has been achieved.
On February 19, 2025, the Government of Canada announced the development of a high-speed train between Toronto and Québec City on new and dedicated and electrified tracks.
Alto at a Glance
To ensure Canadians enjoy high standards and diverse transportation options, we must invest in modern, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure.
This state-of-the-art rail network will provide fast, frequent, and reliable service, allowing passengers to reach their destinations in half the time on certain routes. With speeds of up to 300 km/h, on primarily dedicated and electrified tracks, this project will connect major cities along the Corridor. The project will provide Canadians with more options to choose where to work, live, and study. And it will get them there faster.
- Fast, a necessity to bring our lives and cities closer together, at the heart of our vision.
- Reliable, thanks to dedicated passenger tracks, passengers will not have to wait and give way to freight trains.
- Frequent, with regular departures that allow passengers to travel when they choose, even at the last minute.
Shrinking Distances Between Cities
The significant reduction in travel times of the intercity rail service will generate increased ridership. With 13 times more passengers annually than the current service, it could capture up to 40% of travel demand between Toronto and Montréal, a larger market share than car travel.
This transformational investment will enhance the quality of life, foster stronger connections between communities and drive economic growth.
What If You Could Get to Your Destination Twice as Fast? This Is Our Vision
| Rail Travel Times Today | HSR TRAVEL TIMES | TIME SAVINGS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | 4:26 | 2:09 | 2:17 |
| Toronto-Montréal | 5:30 | 3:07 | 2:23 |
| Toronto-Peterborough* | 1:27 | 0:40 | 0:47 |
| Ottawa-Montréal | 1:59 | 0:58 | 1:01 |
| Montréal-Québec City | 3:17 | 1:29 | 1:48 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières* | 1:44 | 0:50 | 0:54 |
Significant Benefits for All Canadians
A High-Speed Rail network will boost the economy and improve the quality of life of Canadians.
Lengthy and costly travel options are holding back economic growth in the Corridor by keeping businesses and workers disconnected. A High-Speed Rail network will change this, bringing communities closer, increasing productivity, expanding the workforce, and generating yearly benefits equivalent to 1.1% to Canada’s GDP.
Time savings
Faster, more frequent, and more reliable travel will lead to save up to $38.4 billion
Reduce GHG emissions
The Toronto-Québec City Rapid Train will provide an environmental benefit of up to $7.2 billion
Auto operation cost savings
As people choose to travel by rail, travellers will spare up to $1.9 billion
Decongestion benefits
The Toronto-Québec City Rapid Train will free up space on the roads, leading to save up to $570 million
Safety benefits
By providing a safer way to travel, the project will save up to $610 million
A Collaborative Delivery Approach to Reduce Risks
The selection of the Cadence was based on its ability to deliver the best project outcomes under a progressive procurement model designed to reduce overall project risk
From the early stages of pre-planning, this alliance is designed to deliver a project that meets the needs of travellers and benefits all Canadians, promoting quality, performance, transparency, and effective risk and cost control.
The Government retains intellectual property rights for the deliverables, allowing the integration of the most valuable ideas into the project's next phase of development.
Learn more about Project Delivery.
What’s Coming Up?
In the coming weeks, Alto will finalize a formal agreement with the selected private partner and launch the development phase.
- Consultations with stakeholders, municipalities and Indigenous communities will be held. We are keen to hear from those who have an interest in the project. We wish to build and sustain effective relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
- Technical design will start. So will the impact assessment. At this time, no specific alignment is secured and the project scope remains to be defined.
- The development phase is expected to last around 5 years. The overall project duration will significantly depend on the completion of the Impact Assessment, which is the critical path.
Construction could begin following government approval, once cost estimates have been refined and regulatory approvals obtained.
- We will use a progressive network approach. This means that Alto will be made up of different phases which, together, form a vast network.
- Although it's too early to confirm any project timetable, we can expect each phase to take between 5 and 7 years to build.
- Existing intercity passenger rail services would be maintained, optimized and integrated within the expanded intercity passenger rail operations.
This collaborative approach between Alto and Cadence will ensure that both parties work together to optimize the rail network’s design, making the most of the expertise and innovation while maintaining public oversight and alignment with national objectives.
Learn more about the project
Consult the document “Fast Forward: Shaping Canada’s Future with a High-Speed Train”.
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