Canada is getting a high-speed rail line with electric trains running between Toronto and Quebec City but many residents are questioning how long the project will take to make and how much it will cost.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the development of the network, called Ato, that will span roughly 1,000 km and reach speeds of up to 300 km/hr. This train network will mark Canada’s largest infrastructure project ever.
The train will make stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City.
Trudeau says once the train is operating, travel times will be slashed in half – getting passengers from Montreal to Toronto in three hours.
Currently, passenger trains in Canada run on tracks owned by freight rails, which limits the frequency of service and leads to delays.
Introducing Alto: Canada’s largest infrastructure project ever — connecting nearly 20 million Canadians between Quebec City and Toronto with 300km/hour high-speed rail.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 19, 2025
“A reliable high-speed rail network will be a game changer for Canadians,” Trudeau said in a press conference this morning.
The Canadian government says the project will boost GDP by up to $35 billion annually, creating more than 51,000 jobs during construction.
“Alto will be a truly pan-Canadian endeavour using expertise and resources from coast to coast to coast. It will turbo charge our entire economy, create tens of thousands of good paying jobs and open new opportunities for Canadian businesses at every link of our supply chain,” Trudeau added.
In November 2022, the government created Alto, which is a Crown corporation, to provide oversight of the project.
Development and operation consortium Cadence will co-design and build the train, along with financing, operating and maintaining it.
High-speed rail is coming to the Toronto-Quebec City corridor! 🚄
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) February 19, 2025
With Alto, we’re building a faster, more connected future by:
✅ Cutting travel times in half between major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal & Quebec City
✅ Creating 51,000+ jobs and adding up to $35B to… pic.twitter.com/mpM5bfgNht
The government says its investment in the co-development phase of the project represents $3.9 billion over six years, starting in 2024-25, in addition to the $371.8 million that was provided in Budget 2024.
Online, there’s mixed reactions to the news with many questioning how long it will take to build the train and how much it will ultimately cost.
“Look, I like the idea, but how much? And how long?,” one X user questioned.
Good job for once. Will it be ready by 2050. Toronto LRT is 14 years in construction and going,” another X user said.
“Finally! Just hoping it actually gets built without delays and overruns,” another user said.
“Good. As long as the ticket wouldn’t cost you more than airfare,” another stated.
This is actually pretty awesome. Terrified of the final cost but this is what we need nation wide,” one user stated.
“I will believe it when I see it Justin…,” another user chimed in.
The government says Alto and Cadence will be signing a contract setting out the terms of the next phase of the project.
Construction on the new line won’t begin until the design phase is done, which could take four to five years.
