Canada's first high-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City is in public consultation

Alto held public information sessions in Toronto to gather feedback on the proposed high-speed rail line linking Toronto and Quebec City, and alignment decisions are expected to be refined later in 2026 after studies and a second round of consultation.

Alto, the crown corporation responsible for planning Canada’s first high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City, held public information sessions in Toronto this week to gather local feedback. Sessions at St. Lawrence Market on Feb. 4 and 5 were part of a broader set of open houses and virtual meetings planned across the corridor. Attendees raised questions about where the line should start in Toronto, including whether it could begin at or near Union Station. Alto says it will use public input and field studies to narrow the study corridor and define an alignment later in 2026. Construction is still years away and the full completion date has not been determined. Key details: - Alto held in-person sessions in Toronto (St. Lawrence Market) on Feb. 4–5 as part of 26 open houses and up to 10 virtual sessions planned for the project. - Nearly 200 people attended the first afternoon session in Toronto, and Alto reports strong public engagement so far. - The federal government has committed $3.9 billion to the project, as reported at the consultations. - Toronto residents offered mixed views on a downtown start; Alto prefers Union Station or a nearby location but notes constructability and congestion challenges. - The current study corridor averages about 10 kilometres in width, and Alto plans to narrow the corridor after field studies and public feedback, with an alignment to be defined later in 2026. - Alto says trains could reach up to 315 km/h, that lines will need fencing and altered crossings for safety, and that construction on the Ottawa–Montreal segment is projected to begin in 2029 or 2030 using a staggered approach. Summary: The project would serve a corridor where almost half of Canadians live, and Alto projects up to 24 million passengers annually by 2055 if the line is completed. Alignment choices will be refined after studies and a second round of consultation later in 2026, and initial construction work on the Ottawa–Montreal segment is projected to begin in 2029 or 2030, with the final completion date undetermined at this time.