The Toronto-Québec City High-Speed Rail Network (Alto) is the biggest infrastructure project in Canada since the Saint Lawrence Seaway was built 70 years ago. By developing a fast, frequent, and reliable rail network that will connect major cities between Toronto and Québec City, Alto is designed to meet the growing demand for a sustainable transportation option in the country’s busiest corridor.  The project will introduce approximately 1,000 km of new rail service, running on primarily dedicated and electrified tracks, making travel more efficient and environmentally friendly.

By offering shorter travel times and more frequent departures, the High-Speed Rail Network will make it easier for people to travel for work or leisure. The dedicated tracks will also improve the reliability of the service, reducing delays and ensuring a smoother travel experience. Additionally, the project will stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investments, and enhancing connectivity between major economic hubs. This will support local businesses, boost tourism, and contribute to the overall economic development of the regions and over 40 First Nation communities.

Alto is an essential investment that will address the growing demand for an efficient and sustainable transportation option in Canada's most densely populated corridor. By providing a high-speed, frequent, and reliable rail service, the project will significantly reduce journey times and enhance connectivity between Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières and Québec City. With better connectivity, getting to work, school, or just traveling for fun will be simpler and more convenient, making everyday life easier for Canadians.

By operating mostly on electrified tracks, the project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping Canada meet its climate goals. The High-Speed Rail Network will provide an eco-friendly alternative to car and air travel, encouraging environmental responsibility.

Alto will be a major driver of growth, particularly for the local First Nation economies. It will create numerous jobs during the construction and operational phases, stimulate investments in the regions it serves, and boost local businesses. Improved connectivity will help attract tourists, further contributing to the economic development of the regions along the route. Additionally, Alto will bring remote regions closer by improving access to major urban centers, creating more opportunities for employment, education, and recreation.

The project will also improve the overall efficiency of Canada's transportation infrastructure. By transferring passenger services to dedicated tracks, capacity on the freight network will be increased, which will facilitate better movement of goods and supporting economic growth.

The Toronto-Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network will deliver a range of benefits that improve quality of life, support economic growth, promote economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and communities, and advance Canada’s sustainability goals.

By providing a fast, frequent, and reliable rail service, the project will make intercity travel more convenient and accessible. Passengers will enjoy more departures, improved schedules, and shorter travel times, making rail travel a preferred option for both business and leisure trips.

Along with improving travel efficiency, Alto will provide significant environmental benefits. By operating on mostly electrified tracks, the project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with Canada's sustainability and climate goals.

Economically, the project will create jobs, stimulate investments, and boost local economies along the route. It will enhance connectivity between major urban centers and remote areas, providing better access to affordable housing, opportunities for work, education, and leisure. The improved rail network will also attract tourists, further contributing to the economic development of the regions it serves.

Overall, Alto will transform the way Canadians travel, offering a greener, more efficient, and more reliable transportation option that supports the country's growth and sustainability goals.

Alto will make a meaningful contribution to addressing climate change priorities in the transportation sector by offering a mostly electric-powered passenger rail service in Canada’s most densely populated region. This transformative project will provide a sustainable transportation alternative for generations to come. Passenger rail travel currently accounts for only 2 percent of all trips through the region; cars account for 94 percent. There will be a direct environmental benefit to shifting some of those who use cars to a greener passenger train service.

The Alto Team is a dedicated group of professionals responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of the High-Speed Rail Network Project. The team is composed of experts from various fields, each contributing their specialized knowledge to ensure the project's success.

The Government of Canada has announced that the new rail service, running on passenger dedicated tracks will travel between Toronto and Québec City, passing through Peterborough, Ottawa, Laval, Montréal, and Trois-Rivières.

The final alignment will be developed in collaboration with our private partner, Cadence. This collaborative approach will ensure that the route is optimized for efficiency, environmental sustainability, and community benefits. The selected partner will bring expertise and innovation to the project, helping to refine the design and scope of the rail network. This process will involve extensive consultations and technical evaluations to ensure that the final route meets the needs of all stakeholders and maximizes the benefits for Canadians.

Alto (VIA HFR - VIA TGF Inc). is a federal Crown corporation that was established in November 2022. The primary role of Alto is to oversee and manage the implementation and delivery of the High-Speed Rail Network. As the project authority, Alto acts as a strong public sector counterparty to the private partner, Cadence.

Its key responsibilities include:

Project Management: Alto provides strategic leadership, sets project goals, manages risks, and coordinates with government agencies, private partners, and communities to ensure smooth execution of the project.

Co-Development: Collaborates with a private partner, Cadence, to optimize the project’s design, leveraging private expertise for greater efficiency and expertise.

Indigenous Relations: Ensures that the duty to consult is fulfilled and that there is a strong focus on early engagement and Economic Reconciliation through full participation and potential partnerships with the over 40 First Nation communities in the traditional territories.

Stakeholder Engagement: Conducts community consultations and maintains transparent communication with stakeholders, ensuring the project addresses community needs and concerns.

Environmental and Regulatory Compliance: Ensures adherence to environmental regulations and sustainability goals, manages impact assessments, and secures necessary regulatory approvals.

Governance and Accountability: Operates under the oversight of a Board of Directors, reports to Parliament through the Minister of Transport, and maintains independence for agile project management.

Yes. A review by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is one of several government reviews of the project. Others include a review by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Alto has already begun outreach and engagement activities with communities and Indigenous Peoples who may be interested in or affected by the High-Speed Rail Network project. These engagement activities will continue throughout the project development period.

For more information on Canada’s Impact Assessment Policy, please visit the Government of Canada’s website.

Yes, Alto will have a positive impact on the environment. By operating primarily on electrified tracks, the project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, offering a cleaner alternative to car and air travel. This shift will help Canada meet its climate goals by lowering the carbon footprint of transportation in the country’s busiest corridor. Additionally, the project includes thorough environmental assessments and consultations with communities and Indigenous Peoples to ensure that any potential impacts are managed responsibly, with measures in place to protect local ecosystems and minimize ecological disruption.

VIA Rail’s passenger rail services in the Québec City to Toronto corridor will continue to operate during the development of Alto. Eventually, these local services will be integrated with Alto services into a single network, that will maintain connectivity to these existing communities in this corridor.

The implementation of Alto offers the opportunity to improve services on these routes to better address local needs, such as more tailored service schedules. This work will be further explored during the development phase of the project.

• The ‘alignment’ means a line in space, representing the future railway. In short terms, it is the route the trains will take once in operations. The exact alignment will be determined at the project development phase.
• The ‘Corridor’ is a larger and wider zone through which the final alignment will take place. The zone will be studied during the impact assessment and public consultations to find the most optimal scenario for the Rapid Train.

Many countries such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Japan, operate high-speed electric trains in climate conditions like Canada’s.

As for high-speed rail operations, special measures and methods are in place to overcome extreme winter conditions as well as during heatwave, in summer.

Operational procedures, inspections, and maintenance protocols can be customized to guarantee safe and reliable performance under extreme winter conditions as well as during heatwaves.

High-Speed Rail activities will have to comply with specific safety regulations.