Who we are

Cadence is a group of Canadian and international companies with world-class expertise in the large-scale transportation infrastructure sector. The group includes CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, SYSTRA Canada, Keolis Canada, SNCF Voyageurs and Air Canada.

Following an open and competitive call for tenders, the group was selected by the Government of Canada to develop Canada’s first high-speed rail network. Cadence is working closely with the Alto Crown corporation to define various aspects of the project, including the design, route, technical specifications and target timetable. In the longer term, the group will also be responsible for the final design, financing, construction and operation of the network.

Alto Project in Brief

The Alto project is a roughly 1,000-kilometre-long high-speed rail network between Québec City and Toronto, with stops in Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa and Peterborough.

Alto’s co-development phase began in March 2025 and will last six years. At the end of this period, Cadence and the Alto Crown corporation will have completed the detailed design, land acquisition, environmental assessments and consultations with nearby residents, including Indigenous communities.

For more information on the project, visit the Alto website.

A collaborative partnership

The project is being developed through a collaborative approach with the Government of Canada adopting the public-private partnership (PPP) model. It brings together the expertise and rigour of the Cadence team under the supervision of the Alto Crown corporation, which represents the government.

This collaborative approach helps mitigate risks for a project the size of Alto by focusing on better sharing of information and responsibilities among the partners early on in the project. Each party is left with risks that it can control, including costs, revenues, timetable and performance. By identifying all the risks early on, we are ensuring that we are delivering the best project, at the best cost, and in a timely manner.

An innovation model

The vast Canadian and international expertise gathered within Cadence, combined with the unique expertise of partners in innovation and advanced technologies, will ensure an optimal project adapted to the Canadian context.