International consortium wins C$3.9 billion Canada high speed train contract

An international consortium including Air Canada, AtkinsRealis Group and France's SNCF has won a C$3.9 billion six-year contract to help develop a high-speed passenger rail network in eastern Canada, Ottawa said on Wednesday. The contract covers the first stage of planning the network, which would span approximately 1,000 km (620 miles) from Quebec City to Toronto and allow trains to reach speeds of up to 300 kph (186 mph). The government says current travel times would be halved, with a Montreal to Toronto trip taking three hours.