Building a New High-Speed Rail Network Means Building Canadian Expertise

Alto’s new high-speed rail network, the first in Canadian history, is most anticipated for its potential to change the way we travel. Once in operation, it will take roughly half the time to travel between connected cities, and the benefits will be wide-ranging, from opening new economic markets for businesses, to easier access to education or medical services for Canadians. 

Before we even get there, though, there will be great opportunities for Canadians and Canadian businesses. Consider this: Alto will be building nearly 1,000 kilometres of rail, hundreds of bridges, major tunnels and seven brand new stations. The skills and materials needed for a project of this scale will create sustained demand and will provide an unprecedented opportunity to build home-grown expertise.

Who will build Alto’s high-speed rail?

Canada already has a strong track record in rail transportation, but high-speed rail is a different system, new to our country. That’s why Alto has partnered with Cadence, a consortium of companies known worldwide for their expertise in the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of large-scale rail infrastructure, including SNCF Voyageurs, France’s national rail operator and a leader in high-speed rail.

Within Alto, we are building our own expertise while helping Canadian workers and businesses develop experience alongside international high-speed rail leaders. The goal is not simply to bring expertise into Canada for one project, but to help establish a new high-value industry, with specialized capabilities.

Canada has seen this approach succeed before. The development of major hydroelectric projects, particularly in Québec, created more than critical infrastructure; it generated new expertise and industrial capabilities that enabled companies and workers to compete and lead in the sector. Alto presents a similar opportunity to grow talent and build homegrown expertise. 

Growing Canadian talent and business

The building of a high-speed railway requires a broad range of competencies including engineers, skilled trades, manufacturers, suppliers, logistics companies, technology specialists and professional services working across many stages of the project.

Alto is expecting to create approximately 50,000 jobs during construction and once operational, more than 5,000 ongoing full-time jobs are expected across areas including operations, maintenance, engineering, inspection, repair, customer service and system management.

This process will grow Canadian businesses and supply chains, strengthen industrial capacity, and develop specialized skills and expertise that remain in Canada to support future infrastructure projects in the country and potentially abroad.

Sourcing Canadian materials

Meanwhile, the actual construction of Canada’s first high-speed rail network will require more than 4,000 km (or several hundred thousand tonnes) of steel rails in addition to massive quantities of structural beams, catenaries, and other core materials. Few infrastructure projects in modern Canadian history have generated an industrial demand of this magnitude. This scale of procurement presents a rare opportunity for Canada’s steel and manufacturing sectors to expand capacity, accelerate investment, and innovate to position themselves for the opportunities ahead.

Alto intends to prioritize Canadian materials such as steel, aluminum and wood, by sourcing locally and drawing on domestic expertise and production capacity whenever possible. Guided by the Government’s policy to Buy Canadian, Alto aims to strengthen domestic supply chains, support Canadian jobs, and ensure that the economic ripple effects of this nation-building project are felt across the country.

The long-term value of Alto

Once in operation, Alto’s new high-speed rail will change how people live and move in the Toronto–-Québec City corridor. But its long-term value extends beyond transportation. The building of Alto is an incredible opportunity to build Canadian expertise that lasts long after construction is complete. Through the development of these domestic skills, production capacity and stronger supply chains, Canada will become its own expert in the operation of major infrastructure projects and a leader in high-speed rail for generations to come.