High-speed rail plan unveiled: Toronto-Quebec City Corridor to include Peterborough stop

The plan for a high-speed rail network in the Toronto-Quebec City corridor, including a stop in Peterborough, is finally coming to fruition.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this morning that Canada is developing a transformative rail network, called Alto, that will span about 1,000 km and reach speeds of up to 300 km/hour.

There will be stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City.

Mayor Jeff Leal says this is a very exciting development.

In terms of where the soon-to-be-station would be located, Leal gave his thoughts.

Once operational, current travel times will be slashed in half – getting you from Montréal to Toronto in three hours.

The Toronto-Quebec City corridor is home to 18 million people, 40 per cent of our GDP, over 700,000 students, and more than 30 colleges and universities. The federal government says this dynamic hub needs a transportation system that gets people from city to city, in the fastest time possible.

As Canada’s largest ever infrastructure project, the Feds say high-speed rail will turbocharge the Canadian economy – boosting GDP by up to $35 billion annually, creating over 51,000 good-paying jobs during construction, and unlocking enhanced productivity for decades to come.

Cadence has been selected to not only co-design and build, but also to finance, operate, and maintain this project. Cadence is a consortium of world-renowned companies with expertise and know-how in the design, development, and operation of large-scale transportation infrastructure.

This decision is the result of years of careful deliberations and de-risking, as well as meaningful investment from the Government of Canada.

(Written by: Loreena Dickson with files from Jordan Mercier)