We’re one step closer to a rapid passenger train between Toronto and Montreal. On Tuesday, the CEO of VIA High Frequency Rail presented the latest update of the rapid passenger rail project created back in 2022 – the largest transportation infrastructure project in Canada in 60 years. Here are the latest updates.

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According to VIA HFR, there has been a recent creation of a new federal Crown corporation dedicated entirely to the development.

The proposed rail project will extend over nearly 1,000 kilometres of dedicated and electrified tracks, with stops in Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Laval,  Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto.

The objective, according to VIA HFR, is to put in place a rapid service, comparable to European standards, in the Quebec City–Toronto corridor, allowing passengers to get to their destination quickly and return on the same day thanks to frequent and reliable departures.

“This project will be transformative for both Quebec and Canada,” said Martin Imbleau, CEO of VIA HFR. “We will bring cities closer together and connect three capitals and the country’s two biggest cities!”

The “tendering process” is underway to select a private sector partner to keep the project moving.

VIA HFR says there are three international consortiums are working on finalizing applications and that, “They will have to submit proposals to minimize travel times, including scenarios where trains will run at 200 km/h, as well as an alternative with no speed limit, allowing trains to go as fast as possible.”

The project is also engaged in a proactive collaboration with Indigenous communities along the corridor.

“We want this project to be a true vehicle for economic reconciliation with First Nations,” said Imbleau. “We will work with Indigenous communities to integrate their participation and make them partners.”

This rapid passenger train between Toronto and Montreal is about to make your trip even quicker!

Taylor Lucas

Regional Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for story-telling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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