The train is expected to use a newly built, separate electrified track and run frequently. In addition to Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto, it would serve Trois-Rivières, Laval, Ottawa and Peterborough.
Transport Canada initially estimated that the cost of a high-speed rail link between the two cities could be as high as $80 billion.
It’s expected to take four to five years to design the future high-speed line. Funds are to be allocated at the end of that time period, so it’s possible a future government could modify or cancel the project.
This is one of the best initiatives I’ve seen from a government in a long-ass time. Such a railway would be a boon for our economy. As a Montrealer, the only thing I can say is I’m pissed it didn’t already happen three decades ago.
$80 bn is chump change for something this critical. It will in the long run pay for itself via increased productivity and other benefits to our Canadian economy.
That is correct, not only an election, but the Liberals are currently having a leadership race. Then the asshat conservatives will vote no confidence and we will have to have an election and possibly follow the states into stupidity.
I’m really hoping the glow from the dumpster fire down south hits the conservatives up here and makes them think… Even if it’s just for a moment. Hope is the word though…
Technically he announced a 5/6 years project of 3.9 billion for a study and a plan to have high speed rail. Nothing will get bought or built during that 5 year period. And I doubt anything will move faster once the study is over. Just add it to the pile.
No plans to ameliorate the current VIA Rail service in the meantime. This even kills the HFR plans that VIA proposed.
I’m so tired of those announcements. It’s frustrating. I don’t have a car now. I need to use VIA Rail now. I can’t wait for ‘Alto’ in maybe 10 or 15 years. Intercity trains, or even buses, are abysmal in Canada. If they exist at all. And it will continue to stagnate or even degrade, while the governments will just keep announcing the same big project again and again and again.
We must think it backwards: building rails will bring population density.
If we wait for density to be high enough, the development will not have been planned for rails and it will be socially impossible to make people accept the demolition needed to build it.
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this is exciting, won’t happen unless they or NDP win the federal tho
This is one of the best initiatives I’ve seen from a government in a long-ass time. Such a railway would be a boon for our economy. As a Montrealer, the only thing I can say is I’m pissed it didn’t already happen three decades ago.
$80 bn is chump change for something this critical. It will in the long run pay for itself via increased productivity and other benefits to our Canadian economy.
Doug ford wants to spend 60billion on a tunnel under the 401 that would serve far far fewer people, drives me crazy that’s even on the table.
Local projects make corruption easier
Does he want fElon to dig it?
This would be amazing. Can we cancel Ford’s ridiculous $60bn tunnel to fund this instead?
A high-speed rail line to serve half the country’s population? Sorely needed, but not likely to happen.
Oh, so it’ll definitely get canceled.
Let’s not elect PP then!
In Australia, wheeling out the ‘high speed rail’ proposal means there is an election coming up…
That is correct, not only an election, but the Liberals are currently having a leadership race. Then the asshat conservatives will vote no confidence and we will have to have an election and possibly follow the states into stupidity.
I’m really hoping the glow from the dumpster fire down south hits the conservatives up here and makes them think… Even if it’s just for a moment. Hope is the word though…
Technically he announced a 5/6 years project of 3.9 billion for a study and a plan to have high speed rail. Nothing will get bought or built during that 5 year period. And I doubt anything will move faster once the study is over. Just add it to the pile.
No plans to ameliorate the current VIA Rail service in the meantime. This even kills the HFR plans that VIA proposed.
I’m so tired of those announcements. It’s frustrating. I don’t have a car now. I need to use VIA Rail now. I can’t wait for ‘Alto’ in maybe 10 or 15 years. Intercity trains, or even buses, are abysmal in Canada. If they exist at all. And it will continue to stagnate or even degrade, while the governments will just keep announcing the same big project again and again and again.
I wish they would continue it through Guelph and London to Windsor.
It’s the plan, build Quebec -> Montreal -> Toronto and then extend it to Windsor
It’d be nice if they could eventually expand it across Canada.
They’d probably have to branch it around Ottawa for that.
Vancouver is a sad panda.
i love Vancouver, and live near it, but we dont have the population or destinations that they have out east for this project.
We must think it backwards: building rails will bring population density.
If we wait for density to be high enough, the development will not have been planned for rails and it will be socially impossible to make people accept the demolition needed to build it.
Fair enough, but we need to start where the density already is.
Once we have it here, and maybe have grown the expertise, we can grow the system.
You can call me a dreamer but a transcontinental high speed rail would be excellent.
Vancouver doesn’t need high speed intercity service, it needs to improve the existing sad excuse for a regional rail network