A station manager (L) gives the departure signal to launch a new “shinkansen”, or bullet train, line on Japan’s Kyushu island, during a ceremony in the town of Takeo, Saga prefecture on Sept. 23, 2022. Japan Pool via Jiji Press/ AFP via Getty Images
Canada’s proposed Alto high-speed rail line promises faster travel, economic growth, and lower emissions, but it’s moving forward against a global track record showing such projects often run years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.
The Toronto-Quebec City high-speed corridor was formally announced in February of last year by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The plan entered the pre-construction phase last month, and Prime Minister Mark Carney now champions it as a nation-building project. It is expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion and take at least a decade to build.
