Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
An internal document obtained by The Globe and Mail shows the full cost of a proposed high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City is estimated at about $150-billion once four decades of operating and maintenance expenses are included – a figure that is well above the range regularly cited by federal officials.
For “infrastructure capital,” the estimated cost is $83.5-billion, which is within the $60-billion to $90-billion range publicly cited by Alto, the Crown corporation responsible for the project.
The briefing document lists two other cost categories: rolling stock is projected to cost between $2-billion and $2.2-billion, while “operating and maintenance” is estimated to cost between $62.6-billion and $67-billion.
Combined, the document says its total Rough Order of Magnitude estimate is for the project to cost between $148.1-billion and $152.7-billion.
It also says total projected revenue for the high-speed rail system is $105-billion over the 40-year period.
Video by Bill Curry and Alex Migdal/The Globe and Mail. #CdnPoli #HighSpeedRail #Canada
An internal document obtained by The Globe and Mail shows the full cost of a proposed high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City is estimated at about $150-billion once four decades of operating and maintenance expenses are included – a figure that is well above the range regularly cited by federal officials.
For “infrastructure capital,” the estimated cost is $83.5-billion, which is within the $60-billion to $90-billion range publicly cited by Alto, the Crown corporation responsible for the project.
The briefing document lists two other cost categories: rolling stock is projected to cost between $2-billion and $2.2-billion, while “operating and maintenance” is estimated to cost between $62.6-billion and $67-billion.
Combined, the document says its total Rough Order of Magnitude estimate is for the project to cost between $148.1-billion and $152.7-billion.
It also says total projected revenue for the high-speed rail system is $105-billion over the 40-year period.
Video by Bill Curry and Alex Migdal/The Globe and Mail. #CdnPoli #HighSpeedRail #Canada
