CN TurboTrain - Lorne Perry Collection History My involvement in passenger rail advocacy began around 1990, inspired by legendary Transport 2000 Canada advocate Harry Gow. However, my fascination with high-speed trains started decades earlier with Canada's TurboTrain—I was captivated by its modern, sleek design. In 2008, I founded High-Speed Rail Canada as an educational resource dedicated to Canadian high-speed rail. As a historian of Canada's high-speed rail past, I've dedicated myself to collecting and posting previous studies on the High-Speed Rail Canada website. My goal was to digitize and make accessible all previous Canadian high-speed rail studies. Today, that website has accomplished this mission. Previous Attempts at High-Speed Rail in Canada Whether in the Calgary-Edmonton corridor or the Ontario-Quebec region, one pattern remains constant: whenever high-speed rail is proposed, naysayers emerge with tired, repetitive arguments against it. Having observed ...

 Alto announces virtual information sessions and provide dates and signup.  It is a similar experience to Alto open house events. There is a live Q&A period with Quebec and American sign language interpretation. Sign up at this LINK . French Sessions Saturday, January 31 - 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 6 - 12 p.m. Monday, February 16 - 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 - 7 p.m. English Sessions Saturday, January 31 - 1 p.m. Friday, February 20 - 12 p.m. Monday, February 23 - 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 - 7 p.m.

  Canada is embarking on one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in its history: ALTO, the country's first high-speed rail network connecting Toronto to Quebec City. This transformative project will reshape how millions of Canadians travel, work, and live. And here's the exciting part—you can help shape it. A Project Built with Communities ALTO is committed to meeting with communities across Ontario and Quebec in an initial round of public consultations starting in January 2026. This isn't just a formality; your participation is essential to building a project that truly reflects the needs and expectations of the communities served. The consultation process aims to inform route alignment decisions, station locations, environmental studies, and ways to minimize impacts while maximizing community benefits. As Alto President & CEO Martin Imbleau stated, "As consultations begin, we look forward to engaging with communities and hearing their perspectives fi...

Canada's High-Speed Rail Dream Becomes Reality: Ottawa-Montreal Line Marks Historic First Step CTV News Renee Rogers talked with Paul Langan, the founder of High-Speed Rail Canada.  After decades of discussion dating back to the Brian Mulroney era, Canada's long-awaited high-speed rail project is finally moving beyond the planning stage. The federal government announced Friday that construction will begin on the first segment connecting Ottawa and Montreal, marking the initial phase of a larger vision to link Quebec City and Toronto. The Ottawa-Montreal corridor was selected as the starting point because officials deemed it "the most logical option" and the easiest segment to complete first. According to Transport Minister's statement, this section offers a unique opportunity to connect two provinces while quickly delivering benefits to travelers, communities, and the regional economy. When fully realized, the high-speed rail line would transport passengers betw...

Estimated travel times along high-speed rail Ontario-Quebec Breaking: Transport Minister Announces Construction Timeline for Nation's First High-Speed Rail Network In a landmark announcement that marks a pivotal moment for Canadian transportation infrastructure, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, has revealed that the Ottawa-Montreal corridor will be the first segment constructed as part of Canada's ambitious Alto high-speed rail project. MacKinnon, joined by Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of Alto, confirmed that construction is slated to begin in 2029-2030. Why Ottawa-Montreal Makes Strategic Sense The selection of the Ottawa-Lavel- Montreal route as the inaugural segment is both practical and strategic. Spanning approximately 200 kilometres, this corridor was selected because it is the shortest and most technically simple segment. It offers the quickest route to getting shovels in the ground and t...

  Renfe AVE high-speed trains - copyright Paul Langan An Educational Guide for Canadians on the Evolution of Railway Track Technology One of the mandates of High-Speed Rail Canada is to educate Canadians on high-speed rail.  I have been at several high-speed rail symposiums and always found the Infrastructure sections of them interesting.  The ALTO/Cadence high-speed rail project between Ontario-Quebec, offers for the 1st time in Canada, true high-speed rail. But what exactly will that look like and what technology will they use? I have been on a number of different high-speed rail trains operators in Europe and have looked at different systems around the world. With ALTO suggesting speed of over 300 km/h in sections, the question of what type of ballast system they will use is just one of many that need to be clarified. As Canada explores expanding its passenger rail network and considers high-speed rail corridors, understanding the fundamental technologies that make mo...