RC124 MayJun 2026 - Magazine - Page 8
LEADERSHIP
A GENERATIONAL MOVE
Alto CEO Martin Imbleau on the call to action for
Canada’s first high-speed rail network
by John Tenpenny
T
John Tenpenny is the
editor of ReNew Canada.
john@SiteMediaGroup.
8—RENEW CANADA – MAY/JUNE 2026
Meeting the mobilization challenge
Building a 1,000-kilometer high-speed rail network
is an undertaking that will require what Imbleau
calls a “super team.” Alto has already launched a
pre-construction phase, partnering with the Cadence
consortium, made up of: AtkinsRéalis, CDPQ Infra,
Keolis, SYSTRA, SNCF Voyageurs, and Air Canada.
Unlike some previous infrastructure models, Alto
is utilizing a shared delivery approach designed to
protect the public interest. While the private sector
provides expertise and capital, the infrastructure—
including tracks and stations—will remain 100 per cent
publicly owned. Imbleau stressed that as a dedicated
project o昀케ce, Alto’s role is to ensure strong oversight
and disciplined governance over these public assets.
“2025 was a pivotal year,” Imbleau noted. “It
marked the moment Alto became real.” The challenge
now lies in the sequence of delivery. While many
have asked why construction isn’t starting in the
densely populated Toronto hub, Imbleau explained
that Toronto’s constrained transportation system
makes it a place to apply lessons learned rather
than a place to experiment. By starting with the
Ottawa-Montreal segment, the project can validate
assumptions and manage scope responsibly before
expanding east and west.
The economic engine
The scale of Alto is staggering. To build the network,
Canada will need 4,000 kilometers of steel tracks—
enough to make ten round trips to the International
Space Station. But the project’s impact is measured in
more than just materials; it is an industrial accelerator,
according to Imbleau, consisting of:
WORKFORCE REQUIREMENTS An “army” of 50,000 experts will
be required, including welders, surveyors, electricians,
and crane operators.
RENEWCANADA.NET
EMPIRE CLUB OF CANADA
HE CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION LANDSCAPE is on the verge
of a historic transformation, on a scale not seen in
generations. For decades, high-speed rail in Canada
existed primarily on wish lists—debated, studied, and
repeatedly shelved. However, with the announcement
last year by Alto, the Crown corporation tasked with
building a high-speed rail link between Toronto and Quebec
City, of the development of the 昀椀rst phase of the project,
with an initial investment of $4-billion over six years, and
the awarding of a contract to a consortium, the dream has
become an reality.
During a recent keynote address at the Empire Club of
Canada, Martin Imbleau, CEO of Alto, detailed the project,
which he said represents a pivotal shift from the conceptual
“why” to the practical “how.” With construction on the 昀椀rst
segment between Ottawa and Montreal slated to begin in
2029-2030, Imbleau’s message was a direct call to action for
the country to prepare for a “weapon of mass construction”
that will rede昀椀ne Canadian mobility.
With dedicated passenger tracks and peak speeds of up to
300km/h, Alto will signi昀椀cantly reduce travel times—even
halve it in some cases—between major cities in the Toronto–
Québec City corridor.
Imbleau leads the dedicated project o昀케ce for Alto,
Canada’s 昀椀rst high-speed rail network. With a career
spanning three decades in major project development,
Imbleau is tasked with overseeing the “super team”
responsible for the technical, environmental, and
community-based delivery of the 1,000-kilometer corridor.
Under his leadership, Alto has transitioned from a
long-discussed concept into a multi-billion-dollar preconstruction reality that aims to connect 40 per cent of
Canada’s population.
“This is a generational investment in Canada’s economic
future,” he said. “We’re building something that will
rede昀椀ne how we live, we move, and we connect across this
country. The question is no longer why; it’s how.”
