A 3 hour high-speed train route from Montreal to Toronto is in the works

This could be a travel game-changer for millions of Canadians.

Canada is currently the only G7 country without high-speed rail, but it sounds like that’s about to change.

With proposed stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Laval and Quebec City, a high-frequency (HFR) rail corridor is being planned to service 18 million people.

According to a report from the CBC, the government anticipates naming the project’s winning bidder soon and will release more information about how the new rail corridor would operate.

The report details that the plan to develop a high-speed rail line has been in progress for some time. In 2021, the federal government announced a high-frequency rail corridor aimed at connecting cities like Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Laval, and Quebec City, with possible extensions to London and Windsor. 

At the time, the estimated cost for the over 1,000-km corridor ranged from $6 billion to $12 billion.

The primary goal was to enhance travel times and overall experiences in this region of Canada, linking millions of travellers across two provinces.

Additionally, the largely-electrified corridor would provide an eco-friendly, low-emission alternative, potentially taking thousands of cars off the road—especially good news for Montreal which was just ranked one of the world’s most congested cities.

The project is now moving into its next phase with three qualified bidders. These companies have been tasked with proposing two options: one for a conventional rail system (with speeds up to 200 km/h) and another for a high-speed system comparable to Europe’s fastest trains.

Will Montreal get a high-speed rail?

This week, Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, confirmed that the government is seriously considering high-speed rail.

How long does the train take from Montreal to Toronto?

The train ride is currently approximately 5 hours. Via Rail trains travel at speeds between 60 and 120 km/h, depending on the segment of the track, and share these tracks with freight trains, which are given priority. The proposed new rail link would have its own dedicated tracks, reducing travel times.

For more information about the proposal for high frequency rail in the Quebec City – Toronto Corridor, click here.

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