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Alto (high-speed rail)

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Alto
Company typeCrown corporation
IndustryRail transport
Founded
  • November 29, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-11-29) (as Via HFR)
  • February 19, 2025; 47 days ago (2025-02-19) (as Alto)
Headquarters
Montreal, Quebec
,
Canada
Area served
Quebec City to Toronto
Key people
ParentVia Rail Edit this on Wikidata
Websitealtotrain.ca/en

Alto (stylized in all caps), also known as the Toronto–Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network,[1] is a planned privately-operated high-speed rail network in Canada that will connect Quebec City to Toronto. It was announced by the federal government and Justin Trudeau on February 19, 2025. A design phase for the project was announced with an estimated cost of $3.9 billion and is expected to last between 4 and 5 years, with the total cost estimated at $80-120 billion.[2]

The railway will feature trains that will reach top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), about double that of Via Rail’s current trains (Siemens Chargers and Venture cars) which have a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). The rail network is planned to consist of approximately 1000 km of new passenger-dedicated electrified track.[3]

History

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Main articles: High-speed rail in Canada and Quebec City–Windsor Corridor (Via Rail) § Former High Frequency Rail (HFR)

In November 2022, the Canadian government announced the planning of a "High-Frequency Rail (HFR)" line on the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. This project was called Via HFR.[4] Via HFR was founded as a Crown corporation on November 29, 2022,[5] under the official company name Via HFR – Via TGF Inc.,[6] to "oversee what was initially pitched as a 'high frequency' rail project".[7]

Announcement

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Alto was officially announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal on February 19, 2025. It was announced as a revision of the Via HFR project, which was to now be a high-speed rail line from Quebec City to Toronto.[4] Via HFR was renamed Alto, and the federal government chose the design, engineering, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the rail network—also named Alto—to be the responsibility of the Cadence consortium (which includes the French state-owned rail operator SNCF Voyageurs and the private airline Air Canada).[7][8] In the announcement, Trudeau described the project as the "largest infrastructure project in Canadian history" and added that it would be "a game-changer for Canadians". The line is to span Toronto and Quebec City, with five stops in between: Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivières.[9]

Stations

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All stations are in the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor.

The Alto high-speed rail network was announced to have stops in seven cities, with no other stops currently being developed.[10]

Province City Metro population (2021) Rank
 Ontario Toronto 6,202,225 1
Peterborough 128,624 32
Ottawa 1,488,307 4
 Quebec Montreal 4,291,732 2
Laval
Trois-Rivières 161,489 28
Quebec City 839,311 7

Bidding process

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Participating consortia

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In July 2023, the government selected three consortia to proceed to the request-for-proposals (RFP) stage:[11][12][13][14]

Cadence (winner)

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Intercity Rail Developers

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Partenaires Ferroviaires Qconnexion Rail Partners

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Winning consortium (Cadence)

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On February 19, 2025 the winning consortium was announced to be Cadence after a multi-year procurement process.[15][16] The consortium members expressed their pride and excitement at being selected while promoting their respective areas of expertise.[17] Cadence will co-design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Alto project.[18]

Travel times

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Official estimated/planned travel times by Alto and comparison to other modes, including the current Via Rail Quebec City–Windsor Corridor service:[19]

Route Alto Via Rail Flying[nb 1] Driving
Toronto–Ottawa 2:09 4:26 2:56 (0:56) ~4:30
Toronto–Montreal 3:07 5:30 3:08 (1:08) ~5:30
Toronto–Peterborough 0:40 — — ~1:30
Ottawa–Montreal 0:58 1:59 2:42 (0:42) ~2:00
Montreal–Quebec City 1:29 3:17 2:47 (0:47) ~3:00
Montreal–Trois-Rivières 0:50 — — ~1:30
  1. ^ Flying times include the recommended 2 hour early arrival to the airport for domestic flights by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).[20][21] The flying times in brackets are the average airport to airport times including takeoff and landing.[22]
  • Train and flying times do not include travel time from suburbs to stations/airports or vice versa.
  • Current Via Rail trains (Siemens Chargers and Venture cars) have a design top speed of 200 km/h (125 mph) but have a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) due to infrastructure limitations.
  • Driving times are based on average conditions and typical routes. Actual travel times may vary depending on traffic, weather, and road conditions.

Alto's average speed

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With the route from Toronto to Montreal via Ottawa being approximately 650 km (400 mi) long, Alto high-speed trains will make the 3-hour trip at an average speed of approximately 210 km/h (130 mph) including stops at stations. Amtrak's Acela service operates at an average speed of 132 km/h (82 mph) between New York City and Washington, D.C. (its fastest segment),[23][24] while SNCF Voyageurs operates a TGV service at an average speed of 279 km/h (173 mph) between the Reims area and the Metz-Nancy region.[25][26]

Benefits

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By travelling at speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on dedicated passenger tracks, the planned Alto high-speed rail project would reduce travel times between Toronto and Montreal to approximately three hours. This lies in the ideal time range to make rail journeys attractive and to allow for frequent trips.[27] Low-cost tickets and frequent service could attract enough passengers for intermediary stations to be built to serve commuters. This could expand access to affordable housing in small towns, while trips between the major cities could remain fast by running trains that skip stops.[27]

Constructing high-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City is expected to deliver 50,000 jobs over ten years and $15-27 billion in economic benefits over 60 years.[19][28] The rail network's use of electrified track will reduce emissions from car and air trips in the Toronto-Quebec City corridor, helping Canada to meet its climate goals.[1] The Government of Canada will require the Cadence consortium to deliver minimum project outcomes, including "producing a significant modal shift to passenger rail; providing barrier-free access to services according to the latest accessibility standards; and improved on-time performance across the Corridor."[1]

Criticism

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The project's public-private partnership (P3) structure has been criticized for increasing the risk of project difficulties and reducing the potential benefits of the proposed high-speed line, compared to a line fully owned and operated by a public entity.[29][30][31] A private operator will want to increase ticket prices to maximize profitability, which would limit the number of travellers switching from driving and air travel to rail travel. With most high-speed rail lines losing money,[32] maintaining low ticket prices could require taxpayers to subsidize the profits of the private operator.[29]

Large infrastructure projects in Canada often experience uncertainty and delays,[33] partly due to an overreliance on P3 projects and a lack of public sector project management expertise.[34] Two of the partners in the awarded consortium, AtkinsRéalis (formerly known as SNC Lavalin) and CDPQ Infra, are responsible for rail projects that have encountered delays, cost-overruns, and technical problems. AtkinsRéalis is responsible for the delayed Ottawa LRT's Confederation Line expansion, while CDPQ Infra was responsible for the now-cancelled REM de l'Est light rail extension as well as the wider REM network.[29] Due to CDPQ Infra's privatization of public infrastructure for the REM light rail network, it is "highly unlikely" that the Alto high-speed train will be able to access Montreal's downtown public transit hub of Central Station, forcing commuters to travel longer or make more transfers to get to their destination.[31]

Unlike France or Japan, where a public body performs expert-led oversight and its own project management, the Cadence consortium will be collectively responsible for delivering the Alto high-speed rail project. This may cause inefficiencies in project delivery and drive up the overall costs.[35] In addition, legal issues and an overemphasis on public consultation may cause Alto to run into similar schedule and cost problems as the California High-Speed Rail project, which has been delayed from a 2020 completion date, has had its route shrunk significantly from its original plans, and has had its estimated cost increase from US$30 billion to US$128 billion.[2][35][36] A lack of national standards, expertise, workforce development, and political will could also result in the experience of California High-Speed Rail being repeated.[37][38]

As of 2025, Via Rail uses revenue from the corridor to subsidize rail services in the rest of Canada, and the loss of this revenue to a private, for-profit operator under the Alto P3 structure could "profoundly compromise" Via Rail's ability to maintain services elsewhere in Canada.[29][39] The private consortium would be incentivized to reduce labour costs by terminating union agreements when they come up for renewal, and any changes in Alto's schedules, stations, or routes would have to be negotiated with the private consortium, potentially resulting in costly litigation.[29] At an estimated cost of CA$80 billion–CA$120 billion,[2] the Alto high-speed rail project is significantly more expensive than similarly long high-speed lines elsewhere in the world.[31][40] The per-kilometre cost of Alto will be more than double the average cost for high-speed rail construction in Europe, which has itself been found to be excessive by the European Court of Auditors.[30] Given Alto's high estimated costs and predicted completion date of 2043,[30] investment in urban public transit and the existing Via Rail network has been proposed as a more cost-effective target for public funding to reduce transportation emissions and improve mobility.[31][38][41]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Frequently Asked Questions". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Katz-Rosene, Ryan M. (February 26, 2025). "Canada is one step closer to high-speed rail, but many hurdles remain". The Conversation. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  3. ^ May, Tiana (March 26, 2025). "Alto: Agreement Signed for Toronto-Québec City High-Speed Rail Project". Railway-News. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Caruso-Moro, Luca (February 19, 2025). "A 'game changer': Trudeau gives update on high-speed rail project". CTVNews. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  5. ^ "Cadence consortium selected to develop 300 km/h Toronto – Québec high speed railway". Railway Gazette International. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  6. ^ "Via HFR Inc". Transport Canada. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Wilson, Jack (February 19, 2025). "Trudeau announces high-speed rail line linking Montreal and Toronto in three hours". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "Canada is getting high-speed rail". Prime Minister of Canada. Montreal. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  9. ^ "High-speed rail line with 300 km/h trains will run between Toronto and Quebec City, Trudeau announces". CBC News. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  10. ^ Henry, Luke (February 21, 2025). "Canada's high-speed rail line won't stop between Peterborough and Ottawa, official says". intelligencer. Archived from the original on February 23, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  11. ^ Nguyen, Khoi (January 11, 2023). "Request for Proposals Bidding Teams Announced". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  12. ^ Kumari, Priyanka (July 19, 2023). "Bidding Teams – Information". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  13. ^ "High Frequency Rail Project Request for Proposals". Canada.ca. Transport Canada. October 13, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  14. ^ "Responses to the High Frequency Rail Project Request for Qualifications". Canada.ca. Transport Canada. July 20, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  15. ^ Kumari, Priyanka (February 19, 2025). "Green Light for Development of a High-Speed Rail Network Between Toronto and Quebec City". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  16. ^ "Backgrounder: The High-Speed Rail Procurement Process". Canada.ca. Transport Canada. February 19, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  17. ^ Cadence. "Cadence Consortium Selected to Transform Canadian Mobility with the Alto High-Speed Rail Project". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  18. ^ "Project Delivery". Alto. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Discover the Project's Features and Many Benefits". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  20. ^ "Canadian Air Transport Security Authority CEO assures passengers efforts are underway to reduce wait times - CATSA". Drupal. December 13, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  21. ^ "Winter travel guide - CATSA". Drupal. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  22. ^ "Flight Time from Montreal, Canada to Toronto, Canada". www.travelmath.com. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  23. ^ "Northeast Corridor New York–Washington Timetable" (PDF). Amtrak. March 4, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  24. ^ The timetable gives 2 hours and 45 minutes, minimum, between Washington and New York. Dividing that into the distance traveled, 226 mi (364 km), gives an average speed of 82.2 mph (132.3 km/h).
  25. ^ Taylor, Dr Colin (September 4, 2007). "World Speed Survey 2007: New lines boost rail's high speed performance". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  26. ^ Railway Gazette International 2007 World Speed Survey Tables Archived 31 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International (September 2007)
  27. ^ a b English, Jonathan (March 24, 2025). "Alto: A More Connected Canada Starts With High-Speed Rail". Railway-News. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  28. ^ David, Jones; Tasnim, Fariha (February 21, 2025). "All Aboard: The Benefits of Faster, More Frequent Passenger Trains between Ontario and Québec and The Costs of Delay". C.D. Howe Institute. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  29. ^ a b c d e Enoch, Simon; Mertins-Kirkwood, Hadrian (February 25, 2025). "Canada's proposed high speed rail shouldn't be a public private partnership - CCPA". Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  30. ^ a b c "Cadence wins $3.9B High Speed Rail development contract but delivery timeline is cause for concern". Transport Action Canada. February 28, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  31. ^ a b c d Noakes, Taylor C. (March 12, 2025). "Liberals' high-speed rail: a fast track to privatization ⋆ The Breach". The Breach. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  32. ^ McDonald, Tim (February 4, 2021). "Is high-speed rail travel on a track to nowhere?". BBC. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  33. ^ Fariha, Tasnim; Jones, David (February 28, 2025). "Let's Keep Politics Out of High-Speed Rail". C.D. Howe Institute. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  34. ^ "Why can't Canada have fast trains? - Transcript". CBC Radio. November 12, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  35. ^ a b Miller, Andrew (February 20, 2025). "Canada Shouldn't Build High-Speed Rail". Changing Lanes. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  36. ^ Sheehan, Tim (January 21, 2025). "California high-speed rail: Why 2025 could make or break embattled bullet train project". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  37. ^ Rosales, David William (February 26, 2025). "Why California High-Speed Rail is Over Budget And Delayed — And What We Should Do About It". David William Rosales. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  38. ^ a b "Why high-speed rail might not be right for Canada — for now | Canada Tonight". CBC News. October 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  39. ^ Kurjata, Andrew (February 19, 2025). "NDP warns privatizing high-speed rail from Toronto to Quebec could kill passenger trains in rest of Canada". CBC. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  40. ^ "High Speed Rail Preliminary Data Analysis". Transit Costs Project. NYU Marron Institute. June 30, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  41. ^ Stratton, Julia (December 20, 2024). "Canada's high-speed rail plans reveal transportation conundrum | Canada's National Observer: Climate News". www.nationalobserver.com. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
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