MONTREAL - The federal government says the first segment of its proposed high-speed rail project would connect Montreal and Ottawa.

The segment would be about 200 kilometres long and construction would begin in 2029.

The high-speed project, announced earlier this year, would connect Toronto and Quebec City with trains travelling at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

Alto, the Crown corporation responsible for the project, will begin a three-month consultation process on the first segment in January 2026.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says building the Montreal–Ottawa segment first will allow teams in Quebec and Ontario to start working at the same time.

The federal government has not made a final decision approving funding for the entire project.

Alto CEO Martin Imbleau s

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