The Carney government is advancing a high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City by proposing a new High-Speed Rail Network Act, which would grant the Crown corporation, Alto, enhanced powers for land acquisition and streamline the approval process by exempting it from Canadian Transportation Agency review. The project, estimated at $60-$90 billion, aims to reduce construction time from eight to five years and will feature trains traveling up to 300 km/h. The legislation modifies environmental assessment procedures, breaking the project into 50-kilometre segments and allowing for expedited expropriation of land. Critics express concerns about the unprecedented powers being granted to the cabinet and potential impacts on regulatory scrutiny.
