Dentons, Canada’s Global Law Firm, is proud to announce its role in advising the Government of Canada on the structuring and procurement of the Alto High-Speed Rail Project, the largest infrastructure project in recent Canadian history.

On March 21, 2025, Alto announced its first major milestone with the signing of a contract with the Cadence consortium to design and develop a new high-speed rail network between Toronto and Québec City. The project is expected to deliver nearly 1,000 kilometres of electrified tracks, with trains having peak speeds of up to 300 km/h.

For over three years, Dentons has acted as principal legal advisor to the Government of Canada, providing comprehensive advice on the project’s delivery model and procurement strategy, supporting the procurement process, assisting in the structuring of the project, preparing procurement and project documentation and agreements, negotiating with each bidding consortium, and offering guidance on governance regimes, corporate, financial and other matters.

Partners Ilan Dunsky, National Co-Leader of Dentons Canada’s Infrastructure and PPP practice group, Charles Bardou and Lampros Stougiannos led a multidisciplinary Dentons team which included core associates Sabrina Mach, Aljosa Zenicanin and Audréanne Poulin, with additional support from Daniela Acevedo, Arianne Bouchard, Jay Choi, Matthew Curtis, Mira Gauvin, Pierre Grenier, Karen Groulx, Sonja Homenuck, Manon Jubinville, Paul Lalonde, Michael Ledgett, Anoosh Loertscher, Larry Nevsky, Robert Roth, Jacqueline Rowniak, Guillaume Savard F., Paul Shantz, Barbara Walancik-Hatch and Bin Zeng.

About the Alto High-Speed Rail Project

Alto involves the design, construction, financing and operation of a 1000-kilometre electrified passenger-rail network connecting Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec City, a corridor that encompasses approximately 40% of Canada's population and introduces several innovations never before attempted in the country. This initiative will drive the economy and provide an efficient, economic and environmentally friendly transport alternative to air and car travel. For more information, access Alto’s press release.

About Dentons Canada’s Infrastructure and PPP Group

Recently ranked in ReNew Canada’s 2025 Top100 Projects Report as the #1 global law firm by project value in the gold category, advising on 15 of the country’s largest public infrastructure projects totalling over CA$102 billion, Dentons has one of the largest and most experienced PPP teams of any international law firm. Our global reach and our experience in advising both the private sector and public authorities on PPP projects throughout Canada and around the world makes us uniquely placed to understand the issues which stakeholders face in successfully procuring, negotiating and implementing PPP projects. Learn more about our Infrastructure and PPP Group.

About Dentons

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