Former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau speaks at a press conference in the Old Port of Montreal in Montreal, Canada, on Feb. 19, 2025. The government has announced a high-speed train (TGV) that will connect Quebec City and Toronto, with stops in between. (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP)
The first segment of the federal government’s proposed high-speed rail network will connect Ottawa to Montreal.
The planned rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City will span 1,000 kilometres in total and is expected to begin construction in 2029. Marking Canada’s first high-speed rail network, it would involve trains that travel up to 300 kilometres per hour.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters on Dec. 12 that the 200-kilometre route from Ottawa to Montreal was chosen as the first segment of the project because it is “the most logical option,” being the shortest section of the proposed corridor.
“It is a relatively short and straight portion of the overall route… This provides an excellent opportunity for teams in both provinces to begin to develop together the expertise needed to deliver the other segments, both in Ontario and in Quebec,” MacKinnon told reporters at a press conference in Gatineau, Que.
MacKinnon said other segments can be added from Ottawa to Toronto and from Montreal to Quebec City, and construction on the rail network will begin in four years instead of the original eight-year schedule. The Major Projects Office, which aims to fast-track project approvals, listed the Alto High-Speed Rail as among projects that could be “transformative” for Canada and that are “at an earlier stage and require further development.”
The railway is estimated to create 50,000 jobs during its construction and contribute up to $35 billion to Canada’s GDP, according to MacKinnon. He said the rail will create jobs around steel, concrete, digital technologies, and electrical systems.
In February, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Ottawa would allocate an initial $3.9 billion for the development phase of the rail network. Budget 2025, released on Nov. 4, proposes $4.1 billion in co-development funding for the project over five years.
Alto president and CEO Martin Imbleau told reporters that the announcement makes the rail project more “tangible” and will allow Alto to deliver the rail in a “controlled, disciplined way.” Imbleau said Alto will be consulting with Canadians on the wider rail corridor, which will include in-person and virtual open houses.
“The commitment will be to continue well beyond that first round consultation, engaging with the indigenous communities, with the municipalities, with our provincial partners as well, with landowners and farmers,” Imbleau said.
When asked about cost estimates for the entire rail project, MacKinnon said it could be in the “$80 billion range.” When it came to cost estimates for the first section of the rail, Imbleau said it would be “difficult to have even an estimate,” and the first segment of the rail will be used as a “test case.” “It would be difficult and kind of absurd to have an independent budget. So we prefer to look at it more practically from a network perspective,” Imbleau said.
The federal budget omnibus bill includes measures to allow VIA Rail to expropriate land from Canadians to build the rail corridor without going through the normal procedural steps. The rail company would not be required to make a purchase offer and attempt to negotiate when taking private property for public use, and not require cabinet or the transport minister to agree to the purchase and have the Crown expropriate the land for public use.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Transport Canada said the “complexity” of building a high-speed rail network meant adjustments to the Expropriation Act are needed. Transport Canada said the High-Speed Rail Network Act would not modify the compensation regime under the Expropriation Act, and individuals and organizations will still be able to negotiate compensation and challenge the amount before the Federal Court.
Matthew Horwood is a reporter based in Ottawa.