Canada is the only G7 country without a high-speed rail line, yet not for lack of trying. Over the last half century, numerous high-speed rail projects have been proposed, studied and even approved by political leaders. The obstacles to actually getting them built have proven insurmountable thus far.
Proponents of high-speed rail had much to celebrate earlier this month when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Alto, a high-speed train line that will connect Québec City and Toronto, with stops in Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa and Peterborough.
After a lengthy tender process, the $3.9 billion six-year contract was awarded to the Cadence consortium, which comprises Air Canada, CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, Keolis, SYSTRA and SNCF Voyageurs. The consortium will work with the federal government to bring the proposed high-speed rail line to fruition.
