Alto (high-speed rail)
 | |
| Company type | Crown corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | November 29, 2022 (as VIA HFR) February 19, 2025 (as ALTO) |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec , Canada |
Area served | Quebec City to Toronto |
Key people | |
| Parent | Via Rail |
| Website | altotrain.ca/en (in English) altotrain.ca/fr (in French) |
Alto (stylized as ALTO), also known as the Toronto–Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network,[1] is an announced 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 CAD$3.9 billion and is expected to last between 4 to 5 years.
The rail will feature trains that will reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), about double that of Via Rail’s current trains (Siemens Chargers and Venture cars) operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).
History
[edit]In November 2022, the Canadian government announced the planning of a high-frequency rail line (HFR) on the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. This project was called VIA HFR.[2] VIA HFR was officially founded as a crown corporation on November 29, 2022,[3] under the official company name VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc.,[4] to "oversee what was initially pitched as a 'high frequency' rail project".[5]
Announcement
[edit]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.[2] VIA HFR was renamed as Alto, and the federal government chose the construction of the rail network, also named Alto, to be under the responsibility of consortium Cadence and Air Canada.[5][6] Upon this 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 between Toronto and Quebec City, with five additional stops in between them: Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivières.[7]
Bidding process
[edit]Participating consortia
[edit]In July 2023, the government selected three consortia to proceed to the request-for-proposals (RFP) stage:[8][9][10][11]
Cadence
[edit]
(
) CPDQ Infra- () AtkinsRéalis (formerly known as SNC-Lavalin)
Systra Canada- / () Keolis Canada
- Air Canada
- SNCF Voyageurs S.A.
Intercity Rail Developers/Développeurs Ferroviaires Interurbains
[edit]- Intercity Development Partners
- Kilmer Transportation
First Rail Holdings
Jacobs- Hatch
- CIMA+
- FirstGroup
- / RATP Dev Canada
Renfe Operadora- Meridiam
- DF Canada Infrastructure Group Inc.
- EllisDon Capital
Partenaires Ferroviaires QCONNEXION Rail Partners
[edit]- Fengate
- John Laing
- Bechtel
- WSP Canada
Deutsche Bahn
Winning consortium
[edit]The selected consortium was Cadence and includes companies such as:[12]
- () Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec/Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund (CPDQ Infra)
- () AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (formerly known as SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.)
- SYSTRA Canada
- / () Keolis Canada
- Air Canada
- SNCF Voyageurs
Travel times
[edit]Official estimated
[edit]Official estimated/planned travel times by Alto:[13]
| Route | Alto travel time |
|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | 2:09 |
| Toronto-Montréal | 3:07 |
| Toronto-Peterborough | 0:40 |
| Ottawa-Montréal | 0:58 |
| Montréal-Québec City | 1:29 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières | 0:50 |
Versus existing Via Rail train
[edit]Via Rail estimates given by Alto for the service running on the current Quebec City–Windsor railway Corridor:[13]
| Route | Travel time today (Via Rail) |
Alto (HSR) travel time | Time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | 4:26 | 2:09 | 2:17 |
| Toronto-Montréal | 5:30 | 3:07 | 2:23 |
| Toronto-Peterborough | 1:27 | 0:40 | 0:47 |
| Ottawa-Montréal | 1:59 | 0:58 | 1:01 |
| Montréal-Québec City | 3:17 | 1:29 | 1:48 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières | 1:44 | 0:50 | 0:54 |
Current Via Rail trains (Siemens Chargers and Venture cars) have a design top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph) but have an operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) due to a lack of better infrastructure.
Versus driving
[edit]| Route | Driving time | Alto (HSR) travel time | Time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | ~4:30 | 2:09 | 2:21 |
| Toronto-Montréal | ~5:30 | 3:07 | 2:23 |
| Toronto-Peterborough | ~1:30 | 0:40 | 0:50 |
| Ottawa-Montréal | ~2:00 | 0:58 | 1:02 |
| Montréal-Québec City | ~3:00 | 1:29 | 1:31 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières | ~1:30 | 0:50 | 0:40 |
Driving times are based on average conditions and typical routes. Actual travel times may vary depending on traffic, weather, and road conditions.
Versus flying
[edit]| Route | Total flying time | Alto (HSR) travel time | Time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | ~3:30 | 2:09 | 1:21 |
| Toronto-Montréal | ~4:00 | 3:07 | 0:53 |
| Toronto-Peterborough | — | 0:40 | — |
| Ottawa-Montréal | ~3:00 | 0:58 | 2:02 |
| Montréal-Québec City | ~3:30 | 1:29 | 2:01 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières | — | 0:50 | — |
Total flying time includes transportation from and to city centres and security checks.
Summary
[edit]| Route | Travel time today (Via Rail) |
Driving time | Total flying time | Alto (HSR) travel time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto-Ottawa | 4:26 | ~4:30 | ~3:30 | 2:09 |
| Toronto-Montréal | 5:30 | ~5:30 | ~4:00 | 3:07 |
| Toronto-Peterborough | 1:27 | ~1:30 | — | 0:40 |
| Ottawa-Montréal | 1:59 | ~2:00 | ~3:00 | 0:58 |
| Montréal-Québec City | 3:17 | ~3:00 | ~3:30 | 1:29 |
| Montréal-Trois-Rivières | 1:44 | ~1:30 | — | 0:50 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Caruso-Moro, Luca (February 19, 2025). "A 'game changer': Trudeau gives update on high-speed rail project". CTVNews. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ "Cadence consortium selected to develop 300 km/h Toronto – Québec high speed railway". Railway Gazette International. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ "VIA HFR Inc". Transport Canada. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Canada is getting high-speed rail". Prime Minister of Canada. Montreal. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Nguyen, Khoi (January 11, 2023). "Request for Proposals Bidding Teams Announced". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ Kumari, Priyanka (July 19, 2023). "Bidding Teams – Information". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ Canada, Transport (October 13, 2023). "High Frequency Rail Project Request for Proposals". www.canada.ca. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ Canada, Transport (July 20, 2023). "Responses to the High Frequency Rail Project Request for Qualifications". www.canada.ca. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ Kumari, Priyanka (February 19, 2025). "Green Light for Development of a High-Speed Rail Network Between Toronto and Québec City". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^ a b "Discover the Project's Features and Many Benefits". Alto. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website (English)
- Official website (French)