Canada picks firm to develop Toronto-to-Quebec City HSR project

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week announced that Cadence has been selected as the design, build, financing, operating and management partner for the proposed high-speed rail (HSR) network Alto between Toronto and Quebec City.

With the design partner selected, the project will now be opened up to public feedback and consultation, said Alto officials in a press release.

The Canadian government launched a procurement process in 2022 for the HSR project, and final proposals for design-build were accepted from three bidders in 2024.

If completed, the Alto service would span over 600 miles and reaching a speed of over 180 mph, which would reduce by half current travel times on VIA Rail passenger-rail service between Toronto and Quebec City. The HSR project will be one of Canada's largest infrastructure project, government officials said in a press release.

The federal government is investing C$3.9 billion for co-development with Cadence over the next six years, starting with fiscal-year 2024-2025. This is in addition to C$371.8 million in federal dollars provided for the project in 2024.

When completed, total travel time between Toronto and Quebec City is anticipated to be three hours.