At a time when Donald Trump is keen to torpedo the construction of the Californian TGV between San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las VegasCanada has just announced the construction of its new the first high-speed railway linecalled TGV Alto, between Quebec, Montreal and Toronto. " This line will be the largest infrastructure project in Canada" said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The project is being carried out by the Cadence consortium, which includes the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Atkins-Réalis, the airline Air Canada and the French company Keolis, SNCF Voyageurs and Systra. " This recognition is a testament to our expertise and commitment to providing high-speed rail services for all Canadians. We look forward to developing a new transportation experience that will meet travellers' needs for sustainable and efficient mobility." said Alain Krakovitch, Director of TGV-Intercités at SNCF Voyageurs.
A project for 2035
The development studies, which will take 4 to 5 years and cost €2.63 billion, will be launched shortly. The total cost of building the 1,000-kilometre electrified line and purchasing the trainsets running at speeds of over 300 kph is estimated at 100 billion Canadian dollars, and will come to €67.5 billion. Cadence's study phase includes " the design, consultation with indigenous peoples, land acquisition and environmental impact assessments that need to be carried out before construction work can begin" Justin Trudeau's office stated in a press release.
The construction phase could take at least five years more. When it comes to train sets, Alstom is obviously well placed, especially since the French group bought out its Canadian competitor Bombardier. And since this consolidation operation, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has become its largest shareholder, with 17%.
A 4.5-hour journey between Quebec City and Toronto
With the TGV Alto, Canada aims to make up for lost time in passenger rail transport, the country has always favoured air transport because of its gigantic size. Journey times are expected to be significantly reduced, currently taking 3.5 hours between Quebec City and Montreal and 5 hours from Montreal to Toronto. When the TGV Alto is inaugurated, these two sections will take 1? hours and 3 hours respectively, or around 4? hours to cover the entire line between Quebec City and Toronto.
High-speed trains will mark other stops on this routeThe Alto high-speed line is scheduled to run to the cities of Trois-Rivières and Laval, the capital, Ottawa, and Peterborough. Traffic forecasts are for 25 million passengers a year, with the future Alto TGV passing through a population of 18 million and states accounting for 40% of Canada's GDP. According to local surveys, the project is widely supported by Canadians and the business community. Its impact is estimated at +1% on Canadian GDP as soon as the line comes into service, although no date has yet been set.
