One proposed high-speed rail project is the Toronto-Windsor corridor, which would connect Canada’s two largest cities with a high-speed train traveling at speeds up to 250 km/h (155 mph). The project has received funding for a feasibility study, which is currently underway.
Another proposed project is the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, which would also connect two major cities with high-speed rail. The project has also received funding for a feasibility study.
The implementation of high-speed rail in Canada could offer significant benefits, including reduced travel times, improved connectivity between cities and regions, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. However, the projects also face challenges, such as high costs, regulatory barriers, and the need for significant infrastructure investments.
The Toronto City Council has stated that it is in favour of building a high-speed train to connect Toronto with Montreal.
Council followed Oshawa in endorsing a proposal that would build a high-speed rail system along the Quebec-Toronto line, which would, according to officials, cut travel time between the two cities to little under three hours.
Two members of the Montreal city council petitioned the federal government for funding to expand the rail system in February. Currently operating a green hydrogen train on the Charlevoix railway, industrial giant Alstom has already made a proposal.
Instead, the federal government stated that it is considering developing a High Frequency Rail project along the corridor and is currently looking for a private partner to do so.
Omar Alghabra, the transport minister at the time, stated that the government would be willing to investigate whether trains should be permitted to travel at speeds above 200 km/h. Council members contend that this is far slower than a high-speed train, which can run at a speed of roughly 250 km/h.
A high-frequency rail would “only slightly reduce the travel time,” according to council members in Toronto’s motion, and “therefore make the project much less attractive to the population.”
