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A new high-speed train between Montreal and Toronto could make trips as short as 3 hours

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-white-train-speeds-through-an-unnamed-station.jpg?id=53803430&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C170%2C0%2C170"/><br/><br/><p>If you've ever imagined how convenient a high-speed train between Quebec City and Toronto would be, you're apparently not the only one. </p><p>The Canadian government is reportedly "seriously" considering building the country's first high-speed rail line, which would connect Quebec City to Toronto and pass through Montreal along the way. <br/></p><p>If it goes ahead, this game-changing project would revolutionize travel for millions of Canadians. From travel time to stops, here's what we know so far about the proposed high-speed railway and what travellers could expect from it.</p><h3>The proposal</h3><br/><p>The plan to develop a high-speed rail line has been in the works for a while, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/high-speed-rail-toronto-quebec-1.7346480">CBC News</a> reports. Back in 2021, the federal government announced a "high-frequency" rail corridor to link cities like Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Laval and Quebec City, with the possible additions of London and Windsor.</p><p>At the time, the estimated cost of the 1,000-plus kilometre travel corridor ranged between $6 billion and $12 billion.</p><p>The goal was to improve journey times and the overall travel experience in this part of Canada, which would connect millions of travellers between the two provinces. </p><p>It'll also be a win for the environment too, with the largely-electrified corridor offering a low-emission travel alternative that could remove thousands of cars from the roads.</p><p>Fast forward to today, and the project is heading into its next step with three qualified bidders. These companies have been tasked with presenting two options: one for a "conventional" rail system with speeds of up to 200 km/h, and another for a high-speed system that could rival Europe's fastest trains.</p><p>This week, Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, confirmed that high-speed rail is something the government is "seriously" considering. </p><h3>How fast will they go?</h3><br/><p>Duclos mentioned that even if the new trains are "high-frequency" rather than full-on high-speed, they could still achieve impressive travel times, bringing them close to what we see in Europe. </p><p>Essentially, we're looking at trains that would move faster than the current VIA Rail system, where speeds range between 60 and 120 km/h, depending on the track segment, CBC suggests.</p><p>So, how fast could these new trains go? Well, the government hasn't finalized the specifics yet, but they've asked the bidders to propose solutions that could top 200 km/h. If the high-speed option wins out, trips between Montreal and Toronto could take as little as three hours, compared to the current five-hour-plus journey.</p><p>This new rail line would operate on dedicated tracks, freeing passenger trains from the slowdowns caused by sharing space with freight trains.<br/></p><p>The new rail corridor will be built in stages and will need to pass through various evaluations, such as environmental and regulatory reviews, before getting the final approval.</p><h3>When could this happen?</h3><br><p>For now, we're still in the early stages. A successful bidder is expected to be announced soon, per <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/toronto-to-montreal-in-3-hours-canada-might-be-finally-ready-to-build-a-high/article_2e90794c-818b-11ef-a8ae-ff90b4e20a53.html#tncms-source=login">the Toronto Star</a>, with construction likely to take several years if it goes ahead. </p><p>According to Duclos, it could be the mid-2030s before anyone's hopping on a high-speed train between Montreal and Toronto.</p><p>If this project comes to life, Canada would finally catch up with other G7 countries in offering high-speed rail. With around 18 million people living along the proposed corridor, this could transform how Canadians travel and connect across the country. </p><p>Although we're still waiting for more concrete details, the future of rail travel in Canada is looking faster than ever!</p></br><p></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>