How long is the high speed train from Montreal to Toronto?

Montreal to Toronto Train Information Trains operated by VIA Rail Canada cover a distance of 535 km (332 mi) in about 5 hours and boast excellent service on board. Furthermore, on the way to your final destination, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque Ontario Lake.



Currently, there is no true "high-speed" train (defined as 250+ km/h) operating between Montreal and Toronto; the journey is primarily served by VIA Rail’s Corridor service, which takes between 4 hours and 45 minutes to 5 hours and 30 minutes. However, there is significant movement on this front. As of 2026, the Canadian government and the private developer "Alto" are in the active planning and consultation phases for a dedicated High-Frequency Rail (HFR) and High-Speed Rail (HSR) network. This "Alto" project aims to introduce trains capable of reaching speeds up to 200–300 km/h, which would eventually reduce the travel time between Montreal and Toronto to approximately 3 hours. While the first segments (specifically Ottawa to Montreal) are expected to break ground soon, the full high-speed connection to Toronto is still several years away from completion. For now, travelers looking for speed typically choose the "Express" VIA Rail trains, which offer a comfortable city-center-to-city-center experience with Wi-Fi and meal service, often beating the total travel time of flying when you factor in airport security and commutes.

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TurboTrain – Canada's only high speed train. It achieved the speed of 226 km/h in a speed run in 1976.

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High-speed rail is generally regarded as the pinnacle of attractive and green transportation. But all too often, it makes train travel more expensive and less flexible. In the end, costly high-speed lines may just push more people into cars.

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Japan: L0 Series Maglev (374 mph) Although not yet in regular service, this Japanese train, which is currently being developed and tested by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), holds the land speed record for rail vehicles, clocking in at 374 mph.

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To see and experience all that is Toronto, you should plan a stay of at least a week (preferably in spring, summer, or fall -- winters can be bitter, though no worse than a winter in New York City). If you're here for a short period, you need to plan carefully so you don't miss the must-see sights.

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Luckily, Canadian train trips cross most of it, and the journeys allow you to take in some of the world's most spectacular scenery, stress-free. Some of the country's most remote—and beautiful—spots lack road access, so a train ride may also be the only way to visit.

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In addition, the tracks, signals, rail cars and software made in the U.S. are costlier than imports, largely because the government has not funded rail the way European and Asian countries have, experts say.

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Maglev top speed The train was clocked at 603 kilometers per hour or 375 miles per hour. This is much faster than the Maglev trains already operating in Shanghai, China, and in South Korea, which run at speeds of 268 to 311 miles per hour and 68 miles per hour, respectively.

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1: Shanghai Maglev - 460 kph/286 mph (China) The world's fastest public train is also unique – it's the only link in the world currently carrying passengers using magnetic levitation (Maglev) rather than conventional steel wheels on steel rails.

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Aboard VIA Rail's The Canadian train, you traverse nearly every landscape on Earth. The scenic Rocky Mountaineer is the only passenger train to have access to certain special historic Canadian Pacific Railway routes, such as the 1885 Canadian Pacific route between Vancouver and Banff.

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From Toronto, VIA Rail's iconic train, the Canadian, takes riders on a magical, five-day, four-night, 2,775-mile journey across four time zones and five provinces.

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High Speed Rail is the world's safest form of transportation proven by decades of operations all around the world. Japan was the first nation to build high speed rail in 1964, and has since transported 10 billion passengers without a single injury or fatality!

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