OTTAWA — The federal government has announced plans to build a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City.

At a news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Transport Minister Anita Anand outlined the details of the project. According to them, the new rail network, about 1,000 km long, will allow trains to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h.

The route will pass through Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City. This will cut travel time in half: the trip from Montreal to Toronto will take just three hours.

The official name of the system is Alto.

“Canada is getting high-speed rail,” Trudeau said. “Alto will transform our economy by reducing travel times for millions of people, creating thousands of jobs, increasing productivity and reducing emissions.”

The government estimates that the project will create more than 50,000 jobs over 10 years and increase the country's GDP by 1.1%. It will also help Canada achieve its environmental goals.

"This project will connect regions, stimulating their economies, while reducing harmful emissions. This is a step forward that we can be proud of," Anand emphasized.