Budget watchdog says Alto rail construction could cost more than Ottawa predicts
Posted Oct 1, 2026 09:47:20 AM.
Last Updated Oct 1, 2026 10:10:15 AM.
OTTAWA — The federal budget watchdog says construction of a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Québec City could cost more than Ottawa’s estimate.
The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report this morning that attempts to put a dollar figure on the federal government’s proposed Alto high-speed rail corridor.
Ottawa has released project cost estimates of between $60 billion and $90 billion, but the PBO believes the price tag will range from $75 billion to $113 billion.
The PBO says the experiences in other jurisdictions show there’s a lot of uncertainty involved in large infrastructure projects and cutting through the rocky Canadian Shield will pose engineering challenges.
The budget office’s projections exclude a potential Kingston stop along the Ontario–Quebec route, which would add to the cost and complexity of the project.
The federal Conservative party has already called the Liberal proposal a costly “boondoggle” and members of the Bloc Québécois fear the project is being rushed through without proper consideration.
