Budget Watchdog Says Alto Rail Construction Could Cost More than Ottawa Predicts
The budget watchdog says tunnels and elevated track drive the estimate above Ottawa’s figures by tens of billions of dollars.
- On Thursday, the Parliamentary Budget Office released a report projecting the Alto high-speed rail corridor could cost between $75 billion and $113 billion, exceeding official government estimates of $60 billion to $90 billion.
- The Alto project aims to connect Toronto and Quebec City, with construction through the Canadian Shield presenting significant engineering challenges that drive cost uncertainty.
- International evidence indicates tunnel construction adds $169 million per kilometre while elevated structures add $153 million, reflecting what the report calls 'considerable uncertainty inherent in large-scale rail infrastructure projects.'
- Members of the Bloc have raised concerns the project is being rushed without proper consideration, while the Conservative party called the proposal a costly 'boondoggle.'
- Liberal Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon defended the project as a way to 'build a strong economy,' though adding a Kingston stop would increase cost and geographic complexity.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Budget Watchdog Warns Alto Rail May Exceed Ottawa’s Cost Estimates
The federal budget watchdog says construction of the proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City could cost up to $23 billion more than the federal government’s current projections. The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) issued a report on Oct. 1 that estimates the projected expenses associated with the federal government’s proposed Alto high-speed rail line along the Toronto-Quebec City corridor. Alto, a federal …
Le Journal de Montreal
The TGV project "could cost between $75 billion and $113 billion," according to the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Director.
Estimated cost of Alto high-speed rail line balloons to $113B, says Parliamentary Budget Officer
Skeptics of the project have questioned the cost of the line — both financially and in terms of the land that would need to be expropriated — while proponents have argued the “nation-building” project is essential for Canada’s long-term growth.
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