Government of Canada selects Cadence as preferred private developer partner for Alto rail project

The government of Canada has selected Cadence as the preferred private developer partner for the Alto rail project between Quebec City, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario. The rail network will span approximately 1,000 kilometers (621.4 miles) and reach speeds of up to 300 kmh (186.4 mph), with stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières and Quebec City. The government of Canada notes that once operational, the rail line will get residents from Montréal to Toronto in three hours. 

“Canada is getting high-speed rail. Today’s announcement of Alto, a high-speed rail system between Toronto and Quebec City, will transform our economy – drastically shortening commute times for millions of Canadians, turbocharging economic growth, creating thousands of good-paying jobs, improving productivity and reducing emissions. Montréal to Toronto in three hours – you can’t beat that,” said Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

CDPQ Infra President and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud added, "This landmark project is set to revolutionize mobility in Canada for future generations. The Cadence consortium's unparalleled expertise, synergy and successful track record offer Alto, the Crown corporation with which we will develop this project, a trusted partner to bring this visionary project to life at the best possible cost. We thank everyone involved in the development of the proposal for their trust and professionalism over the last year. We look forward to working together to design, develop and deploy this fundamental project for all Canadians.".  

The call for proposals for the Alto rail project was launched in October 2023. The Cadence team members include CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, Keolis, SYSTRA, SNCF Voyageurs and Air Canada. In November 2022, the government of Canada created a Crown corporation, VIA HFR (now Alto), to provide oversight of the project. Alto and Cadence will be signing a contract setting out the terms of the next phase of the project – its co-development. 

“I’m firmly convinced that the way a project is developed is as crucial as the project itself, which is why we are developing it now, in collaboration with Cadence, relying on the best practices of the industry. We have assembled a unique group of talents, combining the know-how of a federal Crown corporation with the experience of a consortium of world-class private partners. Together, we will build a project that will surpass the highest expectations of Canadians,” said President and CEO of Alto Martin Imbleau.