The Canadian Department of Transportation has begun the process for qualifying three candidates as potential contractors for construction of the High Frequency Rail (HFR) project. The HFR programme aims to create faster, more regular, and more accessible train service between the major centres of Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Montréal, Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto. The top three candidates are expected to be invited to submit bids at the end of the qualification process in summer 2023. Evaluation of the bids is planned by summer 2024. Around €278 million (CA$400 million) has been allocated to Transport Canada and Infrastructure Canada in the 2022 budget for the project and the launch of the procurement phase.
