Alto (high-speed rail)
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | High-speed rail |
| Status | Planned |
| Locale | |
| First service |
|
| Current operator | Cadence consortium (planned) |
| Website | altotrain |
| Route | |
| Termini | Toronto Quebec City |
| Stops | 7 |
| Distance travelled | 1,000 km (620 mi) |
| Technical | |
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) |
| Track owner | Canadian Government |
Alto (stylized in all caps), also known as the Toronto–Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network, is a planned privately-operated high-speed rail network in Canada that will connect Quebec City to Toronto. It was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 19, 2025. A design phase for the project was announced with an estimated cost of $3.9 billion and is expected to last 4 to 5 years, with the total cost estimated at $60 billion to $90 billion. The line will be built in phases with the first phase to be the segment between Ottawa and Montreal.
The railway will feature trains that will reach top speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph), nearly double that of Via Rail's current fastest services, which have a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). The rail network is planned to consist of approximately 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of new passenger-dedicated electrified track, and is expected by the Alto team to be fully complete in 2043. It will be owned by the federal Crown corporation also named Alto who will determine the required outcomes for the project and co-design the rail service.