While Canada's per-kilometre transit infrastructure costs are higher than in many other countries, several projects, such as Ottawa's O-Train, are notable for their success. Completed in 2001, the project delivered eight kilometres of rapid rail transit with five stations at $36 million in 2025 dollars. At that price, it would be feasible to bring rail rapid transit to cities all over the country.

So how was this achieved? By building creatively and simply, seeking regulatory flexibility, buying off-the-shelf equipment, and using an existing underused freight rail corridor. Successes like the O-Train offer important lessons for future transit projects. A new report from the CSA Public Policy Centre offers recommendations to help address the high cost of rail and transit infrastructure construction in Canada.

Read the report