Cancel Alto high-speed rail

AI summary

Petitioners say the Alto high‑speed rail project is estimated to cost about $60–$90 billion (roughly $9,000 per Canadian family of four) and that actual construction and emissions costs are unknown until disruptive steps such as expropriation occur. They assert that major rail projects often run over budget and behind schedule, that Alto’s public business case relies on best‑case ridership and cost assumptions exposing taxpayers to financial risk, and that the project may require long‑term government subsidies and not be fully operational before 2037. The petition calls on the Government of Canada to cancel Alto and instead invest in less costly, lower‑risk improvements to existing services and infrastructure.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada The Alto high-speed rail project is estimated to cost approximately between $60 billion and $90 billion, or up to roughly $9,000 per Canadian family of four; The actual construction and emissions costs to build Alto are presently unknown, and will not be known until after disruptive and costly steps have occurred, including expropriation of property along the route; History suggests high-speed rail projects in general, and similar major infrastructure projects in Canada and analogous jurisdictions in particular, have typically cost substantially more than planned, taking much longer to complete than anticipated; Alto’s public business case is based on best-case annual cost and ridership revenue projections, exposing Canadian taxpayers to large financial risks; The annual interest payments to finance Alto’s construction are likely to equal or exceed Alto’s annual revenues, even under its own best-case projections; Alto is likely to require large, annual government operational subsidies for decades; Alto will not be in full operation until 2037 at the earliest; Many municipalities through which Alto will pass, without stopping or benefitting them, have expressed opposition to the project; Alto will serve an already well-serviced transportation corridor and provide little to no benefit to Canadians outside that corridor, or to those who do not use it; and Canadians will be better served by the government making smarter, less costly, less disruptive, and more limited investments to improve existing services and infrastructure. We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to cancel the Alto high-speed rail project and focus on projects that will provide better value and lower risk to Canadians.

Government response

No government response is available yet.