The Crown corporation leading the construction of the Toronto to Quebec City high-speed rail network is reaching out to stakeholders in Canada’s steel industry to better understand suppliers’ interest, capacity and readiness to supply materials for the massive project.

Guided by the federal government's Buy Canadian policy, Alto is seeking to source key components of the future rail network from Canadian suppliers to the greatest extent possible. This includes several hundred thousand tonnes of steel for high-speed rails, structures, facilities and electric infrastructure.

In the coming weeks, Alto and its development partner Cadence intend to meet with leaders across the Canadian steel industry to better understand current production capabilities, scaling potential, and opportunities for modernization.

The project to build Canada's first high-speed rail network is one of the largest infrastructures build in the country in over a half century.

It is estimated the project will require more than 4,000 kilometres of steel rails as well as massive quantities of structural beams, catenaries, and other core materials.

Alto says few infrastructure projects in modern Canadian history have generated an industrial demand of this magnitude. This scale of procurement presents an opportunity for Canada's steel and manufacturing sectors to expand capacity, accelerate investment, and innovate to position themselves for the opportunities ahead.

"This initiative is one of Canada's largest infrastructure investments in decades. It is about strengthening our country by building more here at home," said federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon. "This new high-speed rail network will be transformational. It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to connect Canadians in new ways while creating a new industry and high-quality jobs."   

Alto will be Canada's first high-speed rail network, spanning close to 1,000 kilometres from Toronto to Québec City and reaching speeds of 300 km/hour or more. It will significantly cut travel times and connect close to half of Canada's population. The project will create more than 50,000 jobs during construction, generate productivity gains that could reach up to $35 billion annually, and contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government of Canada has identified Alto as a transformative strategy for the country, and the Initiative will receive support from the Major Projects Office to enable the start of construction in four years.

Pre-procurement activities for project components will start in 2026.