Connecting Peterborough to the GTA via high-speed rail has been a conversation for years and finally the enormous project is taking shape.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada is developing a transformative rail network, called Alto, that will span about 1,000 km and reach speeds of up to 300 km/hour. The line will have stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City.
Vice President, Government Relations, & Communications with Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, Joel Wiebe, says it’s hard to wrap your head around how much work will go into making this happen.
Once operational, current travel times will be slashed in half – getting you from Montréal to Toronto in three hours. Wiebe says that will have tremendous impact on local businesses and workers.
Additionally, Wiebe says the timing might be just right for this based on recent discussions between provinces.
Not only is the Toronto-Quebec City corridor home to about 18 million people, it’s also responsible for 40 per cent of our GDP, over 700,000 students, and more than 30 colleges and universities.
(Written by: Jordan Mercier with files from Loreena Dickson)
