Overview
About
Canada announced plans to construct a high-speed passenger rail network between Toronto and Québec City, known as Alto. While high-speed rail may offer some benefits, the project will pose both new and familiar challenges. Varying by county, high-speed rail (HSR) is typically defined as a rail network that runs trains at speeds over 200 km/h. These speeds make secure fencing imperative and safe grade crossings impractical, or impossible, to design. Relatedly, HSR tracks must be relatively flat and straight in order to accommodate these speeds. HSR is best suited to long-distance travel, rather than short local lines, so that trains may accelerate and decelerate safely.
The construction of HSR is also expensive, disruptive to communities, and comes with a long list of serious implications for farmers. OFA is sceptical of HSR’s ability to solve mobility issues efficiently and economically while not trading rural harmony and irreplaceable farmland for railway rights-of-way.
Alto Rail
The Government of Canada announced it intends to construct a roughly 1,000 km high-speed, electric, passenger rail network between Toronto and Québec City. This will be the first high-speed rail network in Canada. The government considers Alto a major project of strategic and transformative importance. Alto is a subsidiary Crown Corporation that operates at an arms-length from its parent, VIA Rail. Cadence Consortium, a team of railway infrastructure and operations companies, was selected to co-develop the HSR network with Alto. Trains are planned to run at speeds of 300-325 km/h between seven stations located in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Québec City, powered by the Ontario and Québec electrical grids.
- Major Projects Office, Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/major-projects-office/projects/other.html#1
- Alto: https://www.altotrain.ca/en
- Cadence: https://cadence.info/en
The Government of Canada estimates that this high-speed rail project will cost between $60-90 billion to complete. Independent assessments raise concerns that cost overruns may amount to significant additional spending.
Alto intends to conduct a federal impact assessment and carry out construction in segments, rather than all at once, in order to bring sections of the HSR network into service as they are completed. Alto anticipates groundbreaking for the first segment, the Ottawa–Montréal corridor, in 2029-2030.
Between 2026-2027, Alto intends to narrow the study area to a single, continuous 1 km wide corridor, then determine the final alignment of the 60 m wide right-of-way. Importantly, Alto stated the railway’s design and placement will depend on the feedback they receive during open houses, virtual information seminars, round table discussions, and through their online portal. The current study area is posted online. The public may comment online with geo-located pins. The online consultation portal is scheduled to close April 24, 2026. Landowners within the study area may receive requests from Alto to participate in site assessments. The proposed railway may or may not be located on the sites assessed.
- Alto Public Consultation: https://www.altotrain.ca/en/public-consultation
- Alto Interactive Map for the study area: https://en.consultation.altotrain.ca/shaping-the-canada-of-tomorrow-with-high-speed-rail/places/interact-map
Both the design and alignment of the Alto rail corridor have serious implications for farmers and rural communities. Unfortunately, the scope of this project has meant that precise details on crossings, drainage infrastructure, business operations and fare structures, and the precise rail alignment are not finalized.
Alto states that the entire rail corridor will be fenced. Safety measures such as fencing are critical to protect people, animals, and trains from collisions. The speed of HSR trains rules out the construction of grade crossings, and thus over- and underpasses will be constructed to allow farm equipment, commuters, and service vehicles to cross the railway, but the spacing and designs of these crossings have not been finalized.
Alto stated that a compensation package is under consideration for communities who will be disproportionately affected by the railway without benefiting from a station.
OFA Position
OFA is deeply concerned about the disruption and impacts that the proposed Alto HSR network would create and is troubled by the rapid progression of this project. OFA is sceptical that the proposed HSR network will provide sustainable, effective, and efficient transportation for Ontarians that is worth the financial and opportunity costs; OFA is calling on Alto to suspend operations and conduct a rigorous assessment of economic, social, and environmental impacts.
- OFA Statement: Farmers call for responsible, agriculture-first planning in Alto High-Speed Rail Development: https://ofa.on.ca/newsroom/farmers-call-for-responsible-agriculture-first-planning-in-alto-high-speed-rail-development/
OFA acknowledges that Alto stated the corporation intends to avoid impacts to farmland and farmers. OFA recommends that Alto substantiate this commitment by formalizing an agricultural advisory council and committing to an agricultural impact assessment for the project.
Should the project proceed, Alto’s right-of-way must stay out of prime agricultural areas and full access to all farm properties and woodlands must continue and be protected. It is not acceptable for any railway to divide properties and thereby “landlock” the interior of the lot. Any crossing must be at least 10 metres wide to allow large and irregularly shaped farm and forestry equipment to be conveyed safely across the railway. Over- and underpasses must be engineered to accommodate the weight, height, and width of not only today’s farm and forestry equipment but also what machines may be used in the future. Crossings must also be engineered to prevent equipment rollovers. Alto must also preserve drainage system functionality and not adversely affect natural drainage systems.
Alto stated that the entirety of the railway corridor will be fenced. Alto must consult on the fencing design to ensure farm animals cannot stray onto the tracks, as some farm animals have special fencing needs.
In addition, Transport Canada and Alto must provide fair and proportionate compensation for other negative affections caused by the railway, which will permanently affect farm production and limit growth potential.
Submissions & Correspondence
- OFA-UPA Joint CFA Resolution
- OFA submission to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation regarding a draft transportation plan for Eastern Ontario
- OFA letter to Minister Hardeman regarding Agricultural Impact Assessments
- OFA letter to Minister Yakabuski regarding the High-Speed Rail proposal
- OFA submission regarding Ontario’s Agricultural Impact Assessment Guidance Document
- OFA letter to Ontario Premier Wynne requesting high-speed rail project cost-benefit analysis and assessment of the high-performance rail alternative
News & Commentaries
- Farmers call for responsible, agriculture-first planning in Alto High-Speed Rail Development
- Farmers in urgent need of action: “Unacceptable” for railways to download costs onto farmers, rural landowners
- There’s a difference between private and farm railway crossings – and it matters
Additional Information