In the latest development of Canada’s high-speed rail network, the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) recently announced that he would withdraw the province from the project if elected.
The federal rail, Alto, is set to connect Quebec City to Toronto by 2044, with the first phase expected between Ottawa and Montreal. The 1,000-km rail has additional planned stops in Peterborough, Laval, and Trois-Rivières.
“The real problem with transit is not that Quebecers can’t efficiently commute to Toronto, but that they’re unable to effectively commute within their own city,” wrote party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on X.
Alto recently wrapped up its first public consultation period, eliciting concerns about the expropriation of up to 1,700 properties and 500 agricultural lands. It has also received pushback about its potential environmental impacts, such as habitat fragmentation.
“I cannot justify to Quebecers that their money be invested in a pharaonic project which, according to studies, will have little impact on traffic on our roads and which is very likely to be a huge financial fiasco,” Plamondon added.
Conflicting financial estimates for the project
Federal estimates are between $60 and $90 billion for the project, though a recent news release from the PQ points to a Bloc Quebecois assessment of up to $200 billion.
If these estimates are correct, St-Pierre Plamondon says that the province could end up contributing $40 billion to the project. The provincial leader says that $40 billion would be better spent on Quebec’s infrastructure, including roads, schools, and public transit.
It’s unclear how the party landed on those numbers—a spokesperson for the Bloc referenced one Journal de Montréal article from May.
Opposition leaders and local politicians were quick to criticize the announcement.
“I have the impression the PQ doesn’t understand how this works,” Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said last week. “It’s not true that we can recoup billions of dollars if this project doesn’t move forward in Quebec.”
Quebec mayors, including from Quebec City and Montreal, also defended the project.
“The high-speed train will bring Quebec City closer to the continent’s major economic and political hubs and will become a powerful economic driver, as has been the case in all G7 countries before us,” Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said in a statement to the Canadian Press.
The next phase of Alto will see a second round of public consultations this fall, with construction on the first stretch set to begin in 2029.
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