Construction on Toronto–Quebec City high‑speed rail expected to start by 2032, Alto CEO says
Alto CEO Martin Imbleau says Montreal‑Ottawa works will begin in 2029 or 2030, with eastern and western segments following around 2032 after engineering work advances.
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By Torontoer Staff
Alto, the Crown corporation planning a high‑speed rail network between Toronto and Quebec City, expects construction on the eastern and western extensions to begin by 2032, its chief executive said on Tuesday. The first phase, linking Montreal and Ottawa, is set to start in 2029 or 2030.
Martin Imbleau told reporters in Montreal that the Montreal‑Ottawa segment will act as a test case and that work on the Toronto‑Ottawa and Montreal‑Quebec City stretches will likely begin a couple of years after the initial build is under way. He declined to say which of the two would start first.
Timeline and sequencing
Alto plans to begin construction on the 200‑kilometre Montreal‑Ottawa corridor in 2029 or 2030. Engineering on the longer eastern and western sections is expected to proceed during that first construction period, with physical construction following around 2032, according to Imbleau.
Construction of the western part and eastern part will start probably a couple of years after the initial construction period.
Martin Imbleau, CEO, Alto
The revised mention of 2030 as a possible start date for the first phase represents a small adjustment to earlier timelines. Government officials previously aimed to have construction begin within four years of last September, when the federal Major Projects Office was tasked with accelerating engineering and regulatory work.
Network scope, speeds and station plans
The proposed network would span about 1,000 kilometres on dedicated tracks with trains running at up to 300 kilometres per hour. Alto says the service would cut travel times to roughly three hours between Toronto and Montreal and under one hour between Montreal and Ottawa.
Imbleau said the mandate calls for downtown stations in major cities and that Union Station in Toronto and Central Station in Montreal are among the locations under consideration. He cautioned, however, that precise siting remains complex.
The mandate is very specific and the intent is to go downtown, but the precise locations remain tricky to envisage.
Martin Imbleau, CEO, Alto
Regulatory, engineering and consultation process
Alto says a three‑month public consultation will begin later this month. The corporation has framed the Montreal‑Ottawa leg as the initial build that will test construction methods, environmental protections and community engagement approaches before larger works proceed.
The federal government announced the high‑speed rail project in February and assigned the Major Projects Office last September to move engineering and regulatory files more quickly. Alto will now oversee detailed design, procurement and permitting as it advances route and station planning.
Cost, benefits and political context
The project is described as a multibillion‑dollar infrastructure build intended to transform rail travel across Canada’s most densely populated corridor. Proponents point to faster intercity travel, reduced road and air congestion and greenhouse gas reductions.
Critics and some commentators have argued that high‑speed rail competes with other national spending priorities. Imbleau has identified political and public conviction as among his principal challenges as Alto moves from planning into delivery.
Let’s stay laser‑focused on making this happen. Focus on the first segment, start construction, learn and deploy with more agility going east and going west.
Martin Imbleau, CEO, Alto
Next steps
- Three‑month public consultation to begin later this month
- Engineering work on east and west sections to proceed during Montreal‑Ottawa construction
- Detailed station siting and environmental assessments to follow
- Procurement and regulatory approvals to be managed through Alto and the Major Projects Office
Alto plans to use the Montreal‑Ottawa section as both a construction and operational pilot before scaling up to the full network. Officials expect lessons learned during the first phase to inform schedules, costs and community engagement for subsequent segments.
Construction timelines remain contingent on completing engineering, securing permits and resolving siting questions for downtown stations. Alto and federal officials say those processes will determine whether the wider network can meet the 2032 construction target for its eastern and western stretches.
high-speed railAltoinfrastructuretransportationMontrealOttawaToronto
