Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to unveil details this morning about his government’s plan to connect Quebec City and Toronto with a high-speed rail line, according to Radio-Canada.
The announcement will take place at 9 a.m. in Montreal during a press conference with Transport Minister Anita Anand. Sources indicate that the consortium selected to build the rail line was informed only in the past 24 hours that their bid had been accepted.
Radio-Canada first reported in October that the federal government had chosen a high-speed train project over a high-frequency alternative for the Quebec City–Toronto corridor. The proposed train is expected to cut travel time between Montreal and Toronto to three hours, compared to the current five and a half hours by car.
Traveling at speeds of 300 km/h, the train will operate on a newly built, electrified track separate from existing rail infrastructure. The route will include stops in Quebec City, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto.
Initial cost estimates for the high-speed rail link reach up to $80 billion. The design phase is projected to take four to five years, with funding expected to be allocated afterward. However, the project’s future could depend on subsequent governments’ decisions.
Source: Swifteradio.com
