The Alto project will NOT bring a benefit of $35 billion per year to the Canadian economy. 

The biggest original selling point of Alto was the claim that it would add $35 billion PER YEAR to the GDP - national economy.    However, Alto no longer claims this.

 The Alto CEO, Martin Imbleau, finally admitted, in parliamentary hearings, in February 2026, that the total economic benefit would be only $25 billion as a single amount.   (See documentation below  - transcript from the House of Commons.) 

Mr. Imbleau said:  

"We have had time to look closely at the question, to do certain micro-economic and macro-economic analyses , and we can say that, once the trains are up and running, the economic contribution will be $25 billion." 

Alto's financing plan looks ahead 60 years.  

For this reason, the total benefit to the economy is (25 billion divided by 60 = )  $417 million (not billion) per year.

This benefit is cancelled out by the predicted government subsidy of $1.4 billion PER YEAR just to keep the train operating.  (As reported in a McGill study of the Alto project, updated in 2026, see document below.)

The total benefit to the economy, spread over 60 years,  is said to be about the same -- $27 billion in total – in a study by the highly-regarded C. D. Howe Institute in 2025.  Divided by 60, this gives a benefit of  $450 million (not billion) per year.  (See document below.)