When Premier Doug Ford floated the idea of tunneling Highway 401 underground from the Mississauga to Markham, the sticker shock was immediate. Reports pegged the cost at up to $1 billion per kilometre, with a total estimate reaching $130 billion for just 55 km of tunnel. The goal? Relieve vehicle congestion. But in the era of climate action, housing shortages, and economic transformation, it raises a critical question: Is this the best way to spend $100 billion?
Compare that to what the same amount of money could achieve with High-Speed Rail (HSR).
🚄 Ontario’s High-Speed Rail Network: A Nation-Building Bargain
For roughly the same investment being considered for a 401 tunnel, Ontario could build an entire 2,660 km high-speed rail network, connecting communities from Windsor to Ottawa, Toronto to Sudbury, and beyond. With trains reaching speeds up to 300 km/h, we could radically reduce travel times between cities and spark new economic corridors.
The estimated cost per kilometre of HSR in Canada is between $80–$120 million, a fraction of the tunnel’s price tag. More importantly, high-speed rail is transformational—it doesn’t just move people faster, it reshapes how people live, where they work, and how cities grow.
📊 Side-by-Side Comparison
| Project | Highway 401 Tunnel | Ontario High-Speed Rail |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated Total Cost | $55–130 billion | $80–120 billion |
| Cost per Kilometre | ~$1 billion/km | ~$100 million/km |
| Length | ~55 km | ~2,660 km |
| Timeline | 15–20 years | Design + full build by 2050 |
| Economic Impact | Local congestion relief | Province-wide job growth & GDP |
| Housing Opportunity | None | 1M new homes in transit hubs |
| Climate Benefit | Negligible | Massive emissions reduction |
🛤️ What’s Already in Motion
The federal government has already committed to building Canada’s first true high-speed rail corridor from Toronto to Quebec City, with speeds up to 300 km/h. But key regions in Ontario like Durham, Belleville, and Kingston were left out of that plan.
Premier Ford could seize this moment and build something truly transformative for Ontario. Instead of burying traffic under an already congested corridor, he could connect our province with a futuristic rail system and fix our housing crisis at the same time.
🇨🇦 A Nation-Building Moment
Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for nation-building projects. If there was ever one, this is it. Doug Ford has a choice: chase traffic underground or join the federal government in building a modern, green transportation legacy.
Let’s not miss the train on this one.
🚆 Fast Track – A GTA Weekly Editorial Series
Championing Ontario’s High-Speed Rail Future, One Station at a Time.
Leave a Reply