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Montreal, February 19, 2025 – Équiterre welcomes the Canadian government's announcement regarding the construction of a high-speed rail (HSR) line between Quebec City and Toronto, an infrastructure project that will bring significant and lasting environmental benefits.
"Canada is the only G7 country without such a train, despite experiencing the highest population growth in the group. This announcement is very exciting. It was long overdue."
-Blandine Sebileau, Sustainable Mobility Analyst at Équiterre
"There will be real social and economic benefits to its construction, but from an environmental perspective, this is also a major win: it will directly replace long car journeys and short-haul flights, which are extremely polluting. In this regard, it is truly an essential solution," adds the expert.
A striking example of the kind of impact this project could have? Since the inauguration of the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Barcelona in 2008, the transportation split between air and rail travel has shifted significantly—from 85% of trips by plane versus 15% by train before its construction, to 38% by plane and 62% by train in 2016.
A Costly Infrastructure That Will… Save Money!
Équiterre also highlights a key benefit often overlooked in discussions about the project: developing high-speed rail will ultimately cost less than the investment needed to expand and maintain alternative infrastructure to accommodate increasing congestion and demand for more polluting modes of transport, whether road or air travel.
"Yes, building this train will certainly be expensive, but the opportunity cost of not doing it would be even greater. Doing nothing comes at a high price," concludes Sebileau.
Équiterre's offices are located on Indigenous lands that have not been ceded by treaty, which we now call Montreal and Quebec City. We recognize that Indigenous peoples have protected their territories since immemorial times and have used their traditional knowledge to guard the lands and waters. We are grateful to live on these lands and are committed to continuing our efforts to protect them. Read more »
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