The High-Speed Rail initiative from Toronto to Québec City will transform transportation in the country’s busiest corridor. It will create a fast, frequent, and reliable rail service that uses mostly dedicated and electrified tracks with stations in Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto. The official name of this high-speed rail service will be Alto.
By offering shorter travel times and more frequent departures, the initiative will make it easier to travel and create more freedom for where people can live and work.
Additionally, Alto will stimulate economic growth by:
- creating jobs,
- attracting investments, and
- enhancing connectivity between Canada’s major economic hubs.
Through an innovative procurement process, three consortia delivered strong proposals that outlined plans for both high-speed rail and conventional rail. Proposals demonstrated that high-speed rail would offer much better value and outcomes for Canadians.
On February 19, 2025, the Government announced the initiative would advance as a high-speed rail network.
Please visit Alto's website to learn more.
On this page
- Procurement phase
- Dedicated Project Office
- Roles and Responsibilities
- We want to hear from you
- Public materials related to the initiative
Procurement phase
The High-speed Rail initiative is the largest transportation infrastructure project that Canada has seen in decades. It would be the biggest investment in Canadian passenger rail in a generation. As with any large infrastructure project, the Government of Canada has been advancing the project in phases.
Through Budget 2024, the initiative received $368.3 million in funding over six years to advance project design and development following the conclusion of the procurement phase.
Given the size and scope of the project, the Government of Canada leveraged the world-class knowledge and expertise of private sector companies that have experience with designing and implementing complex infrastructure projects.
On February 17, 2023, the Government of Canada launched the Request for Qualifications, a major step in the procurement process. This Request for Qualifications process closed in April 2023, and on July 20, 2023, the Government of Canada announced three consortia selected to be bidders in the Request for Proposals process.
The three consortia submitted proposals on July 24, 2024. Following a rigorous evaluation period, on February 19, 2025 the Government of Canada announced Cadence as the private developer partner for the next phase of development.
Information collected throughout the procurement process will help inform next steps and future Government of Canada decisions regarding the implementation of Alto.
For further details please see the Backgrounder on the procurement process .
Dedicated Project Office
On December 15, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the creation of VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc., a new, wholly owned Crown corporation. The Crown corporation is responsible for Alto and operates as a dedicated project office for the initiative assuming leadership of key project activities, including:
- Indigenous consultations and public engagement,
- advancing Impact Assessment requirements,
- negotiations with Host Railways, and
- technical and engineering design work.
The Crown corporation is mandated to implement the project through an agreement with Cadence, the private developer partner, and in cooperation with the Minister of Transport.
Roles and Responsibilities
Transport Canada’s Role
The Government of Canada, through the Minister of Transport, is the owner of the High-Speed Rail Initiative, and its primary investor and shareholder.
Transport Canada guides the Crown corporation, Alto, on Government of Canada policies and priorities for the Initiative. It also oversees progress to ensure the Initiative stays on track and aligns with Government of Canada goals, ultimately benefiting Canadians.
Transport Canada will help support the Initiative by:
- coordinating efforts between Government of Canada departments,
- supporting rail access,
- assisting with Impact Assessment processes and land acquisition, and,
- helping Alto’s work as needed with other federal departments, provinces, and external partners.
Transport Canada will also develop proposals for the necessary legislative and regulatory frameworks to support the Initiative’s implementation.
The Co-Development phase of the Initiative will be subject to Government of Canada decisions. A strong governance system, along with clear accountability and collaboration processes, is in place between the Government of Canada and Alto. This ensures the Initiative meets Government of Canada requirements and supports fast, effective decision-making.
Delivery Agent and Project Authority
VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc. (also known as Alto) is a Crown corporation that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Transport. Alto is led by a President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for overseeing Alto’s business activities. The Board is accountable to the Minister of Transport for the stewardship of the corporation.
As the delivery agent and project authority, Alto will lead the development of the overall implementation strategy and the day-to-day activities of the Initiative, collaborate and co-develop the Initiative with Cadence, and ensure that Cadence meets its obligations in a timely fashion, based on the direction from the Minister of Transport. The role of the Project Authority is described further on Alto’s website.
Private Developer Partner
Projet Cadence Rail s.e.c. was selected as the private developer partner for the Initiative through a competitive procurement process, described further in the backgrounder of the High-Speed Rail Procurement Process. Cadence is a consortium composed of:
- CDPQ Infra,
- Air Canada,
- Atkins-Réalis,
- Systra Canada,
- Keolis Canada, and
- SNCF Voyageurs.
Other Federal partners and organizations
The following list describes key federal partners and organizations involved during the Co-Development Phase:
- VIA Rail: Provide comprehensive technical advice and expertise to Transport Canada and Alto during Co-Development.
- Public Services and Procurement Canada: Provide support for the land acquisition process and will be responsible for the expropriation process required for the Initiative.
- Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada: Provide expertise on Community Benefits Agreements as well as strategies to increase housing supply near stations.
- Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Provide advice on the whole-of-Government approach to fulfilling the legal duty to consult and the Crown’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples including on-going treaty negotiations; assisting with issues resolution; and, planning the Initiative in the spirit of fulfilling the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- Impact Assessment Agency of Canada: Lead any impact assessment process(es) (IAs), as per the Impact Assessment Act.
- Canada Transportation Agency: Provide expertise for regulatory approvals and information on environmental and engineering impacts related to railway line construction and operations relevant to any Impact Assessment.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada: Provide expertise to avoid impacts on fish and fish habitats during railway construction and operations and leads regulatory processes under the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act.
- Canada Infrastructure Bank: Support Transport Canada and Alto as an advisor on commercial and financial matters related to the Initiative.
- Justice Canada: Provide legal advice to the Government of Canada and draft required legislation to support the Initiative.
We want to hear from you
The Government of Canada is committed to engaging Canadians, including communities along the proposed route, as well as communities currently served by VIA Rail between Toronto and Québec City.
The Government of Canada is equally committed to building nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Input and feedback from Indigenous Peoples throughout will be essential to developing an effective initiative that creates mutually beneficial socio-economic development and participation opportunities.
An inclusive and ongoing dialogue will create opportunities for the public, communities, and Indigenous peoples to share views and perspectives on all aspects of the initiative, which will help inform how it is designed and developed.
Learn more about the initiative and get involved