Canada announces Ottawa-Montreal as first segment of high-speed rail
Dec 13, 2025
Ottawa [Canada], December 13: The Canadian government announced Friday that the first segment of the Alto High-Speed Rail project will link Ottawa and Montreal.
According to Transport Canada news release, construction of the segment is expected to begin in 2029 and pre-procurement activities for project components will start in 2026.
Confirming this segment as the first to move forward is a recognition of its potential to deliver early benefits to travelers, communities and the economy, said the release.
Public and Indigenous consultation processes are scheduled to begin in January 2026, it said.
The release said that the project will be one of Canada's largest infrastructure investments in decades and the country's first high-speed rail network, spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers from Toronto to Quebec City and reaching speeds of up to 300 km/hour to cut travel times in half and connect close to half of Canada's population.
The project will boost the country's GDP by up to 35 billion Canadian dollars (around 25.4 billion U.S. dollars) and could create 51,000 jobs during construction, said the release.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
