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4mo ago

Ottawa–Montreal Picked as First Alto High-Speed Rail Segment, With Build Targeted for 2029

A three-month consultation starting in January will shape the route, station sites, environmental approach.

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Image
Commuters board a Javelin train at St Pancras Station in London on the first day of the new high-speed Javelin train services. Monday, Dec. 14, 2009.
A rendering of the proposed first high-speed rail line between Quebec City and Toronto that will start with a shorter segment linking Montreal and Ottawa, according to sources.

Overview

  • Federal officials confirmed the roughly 200 km Ottawa–Montreal link as the first phase of the planned ~1,000 km Toronto–Québec City network.
  • Construction on the initial segment is expected to begin in 2029, delivered by Alto with the Cadence consortium under a public–private model.
  • Alto will run open houses, virtual sessions and an online platform over three months starting January 2026 to inform alignments, station locations and community benefits, with ongoing Indigenous engagement.
  • Plans call for fully electrified, dedicated tracks with trains up to 300 km/h, while the exact route, station sites, budgets and opening dates remain undecided.
  • Officials cite projected economic impacts of up to $35 billion in GDP and about 50,000 jobs, with approvals work expedited by the new Major Projects Office; a stop in Laval has been indicated in reporting.