The Big Story How long until Canada sees a high-speed rail come to life?
Dec 18, 2025
Ryan Katz-Rozene, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa specializing in sustainable transportation, dives into Canada's long-awaited high-speed rail project. He discusses Canadians' skepticism due to a history of unfulfilled promises and the chosen Montreal-Ottawa segment's strategic advantages. Funding uncertainties and political risks loom large, while Katz-Rozene highlights the importance of public-private partnerships for viability. He expresses concerns about shifting transport trends and gives a cautious 50-50 outlook on the project's future.
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Big Announcement, Big Uncertainty
- The federal government announced the Alto Montreal–Ottawa segment starting in 2029 but has not finalized full funding.
- The entire Quebec City–Toronto plan is estimated at $60–$90 billion, reflecting huge uncertainty and past repeated announcements.
Rick Mercer Parable Fits Canada
- Ryan Katz-Rozene recalls Rick Mercer’s sketch about Canada studying high-speed rail forever.
- He uses it to illustrate Canada’s pattern of endless study without delivery on rail projects.
Speed Drives Ridership Case
- Alto is assessing commercial feasibility and betting that dedicated high-speed service will generate enough traffic.
- Speed matters: true high-speed (not just frequency) is needed to capture ridership and revenue.