Budget watchdog says Alto rail construction could cost more than Ottawa predicts

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.

By Craig Lord | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.