Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

Articles Business Environment Health Politics Arts & Culture Society

Special Series Hope You’re Well For the Love of the Game Living Rooms In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration Terra Cognita More special series >

For the Love of the Game

In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration

More special series >

Events The Walrus Talks The Walrus Video Room The Walrus Leadership Roundtables The Walrus Leadership Forums Article Club

The Walrus Video Room

The Walrus Leadership Roundtables

The Walrus Leadership Forums

Subscribe Renew your subscription Change your address Magazine Issues Newsletters Podcasts

Renew your subscription

The Walrus Lab Hire The Walrus Lab Amazon First Novel Award

Amazon First Novel Award

The Politics—and Price—of Canada’s New High-Speed Rail Line

The trains are fast. The Conservatives are furious. Here are the numbers you need to know

For decades, Canada has touted an ambitious plan to install a high-speed railway from Toronto to Quebec City. In February 2025, the federal government formally launched the project, tasking Alto—a Crown corporation and subsidiary of VIA Rail—with developing the network in partnership with a private consortium. Canada is the only G7 country without a high-speed rail network, but the project has already become a source of political tensions over its cost, route, and potential impact on communities along the line.

Here’s what you need to know:

Almost half of Canada’s population lives along the Toronto–Quebec City corridor today. That population is projected to reach around 24 million by 2041. Alto predicts that the project will create tens of thousands of jobs, increase Canada’s gross domestic product by 1.1 percent (or $24.5 billion today), and generate millions of dollars in tourism revenue.

Up to 300 kilometres an hour

That’s how fast Alto’s trains will go. It’s 50 percent faster than the top speed of current VIA Rail services—making this Canada’s first true high-speed rail line. Travel times between the major cities would be cut by nearly half; a trip from Toronto to Montreal would take only three hours rather than five-and-a-half, and a trip from Montreal to Ottawa would shrink from two hours to one. The line is also expected to reduce emissions equivalent to removing 100,000 cars from the road each year.

7 (possible) stations

Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City are the principal stations so far. Kingston has also been identified as a potential stop, although the route and final station locations are still under study.

Trains every 30 minutes

Alto promises faster service, more departures, and trains as often as every thirty minutes since it would operate on a largely new track. Currently, freight traffic limits how frequently and reliably passenger trains can operate.

The expected price tag. Several billion dollars will be spent before a single rail is laid, simply to decide how and where to build the network. The government has so far committed $3.9 billion........

© The Walrus