- Canada announced an investment of $2.75 billion into a new high-speed rail network.
- It would be faster than any other train in North America but slower than those in Europe and Asia.
- The announcement comes as the Trump administration criticized California’s High-Speed Rail project.
Canada plans to spend billions of dollars on a high-speed railway from Toronto to Quebec City, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday.
It’s set to reach speeds of up to 186 miles per hour, which would make it faster than any train currently operating in North America. Amtrak’s Acela travels up to 150 miles per hour.
The Canadian government said the new rail service, called Alto, will halve journey times. Montreal to Toronto, a journey of roughly 300 miles, would take three hours, it added.
Other stops along the route include Peterborough, Ottawa, Laval, and Trois-Rivières.
The new train line could make train travel more competitive with flying. A flight between Montreal and Toronto takes around an hour and a half. Factoring in airport security and earlier arrival times, the train could be more convenient for many passengers.
Alto will be developed by a consortium of companies, including Air Canada and SNCF, France’s state-owned railway company.
The Canadian government is investing 3.9 billion Canadian dollars, around $2.75 billion, over six years — in addition to the roughly $262 million provided in its 2024 budget.
It says construction will create 51,000 jobs, and the new rail network could boost GDP annually by up to 35 billion Canadian dollars, around $25 billion.
Trudeau said Alto “will transform our economy — drastically shortening commute times for millions of Canadians, turbocharging economic growth, creating thousands of good-paying jobs, improving productivity, and reducing emissions.”
“Montreal to Toronto in three hours — you can’t beat that,” he added.
North America would still lag behind other high-speed railway projects around the world.
Italy’s Frecciarossa 1000 has a maximum speed of 249 miles per hour, while France’s TGV Lyria — operated by SNCF — can reach 199 miles per hour.
Japan’s Shinkansen, or bullet train, operates up to 200 miles per hour. The world’s fastest train, the Shanghai Maglev, can reach speeds of up to 285 miles per hour on its short journeys between the city and its airport.
Canada’s announcement comes as President Donald Trump has criticized plans for a high-speed railway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The project targeted connecting the two cities in under three hours at speeds of 220 miles per hour — but has suffered from delays and overspending. Initially set to be complete by 2020 for $33 billion, costs are now estimated to be as high as $128 billion.
Earlier this month, Trump called it “the worst managed project I think I’ve ever seen,” — and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that federal funding for the project is going to be reviewed, NBC Bay Area reported.
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