High-speed rail builder partners with Canadian steelmakers

Key Takeaways:

• TransPod is partnering with Algoma Steel and Supreme Steel to advance its Edmonton–Calgary high-speed tube transportation project
• The collaboration could create up to 140,000 jobs and contribute $19.2 billion to Alberta’s GDP while using low-carbon Canadian-made steel
• Work on the project is paused until Alberta releases its transportation master plan later this year

The Whole Story:

The Toronto-based company said Thursday it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Algoma Steel and Supreme Steel to support construction of the TransPod Line test track, part of a proposed tube-based transportation system designed to move passengers at speeds of more than 1,000 kilometres per hour.

The project has been designated by the Alberta government as one of the province’s Major Projects — large-scale developments expected to create jobs and strengthen economic competitiveness.

Under the agreement, Algoma could supply between 1.5 and 2 million tonnes of low-carbon, Canadian-made steel over the course of construction, while Supreme Steel will manufacture the precision guideways that will carry TransPod’s all-electric “FluxJet” vehicle.

TransPod co-founder and CEO Sebastien Gendron said the partnership marks a major step toward developing a new generation of transportation infrastructure.
“Canadian industry is ready to deliver the future of transportation,” Gendron said in a statement. “Together with Algoma and Supreme Steel, we can generate jobs, strengthen supply chains, and position Alberta as a hub of productivity.”

The company says the Edmonton–Calgary TransPod Line could create up to 140,000 jobs during construction and contribute about $19.2 billion to Alberta’s GDP. Once operational, passenger fares are expected to be roughly 44 per cent lower than current air travel between the two cities, while cutting carbon emissions by more than 630,000 tonnes annually.

Algoma Steel CEO Michael Garcia said the agreement would provide stable, long-term demand for Canadian steel while reducing reliance on exports and tariffs from the United States. Supreme Steel CEO John Leder called the project “a nation-building initiative” that would leave a legacy of skills and infrastructure in Alberta.

TransPod says preliminary work on the project has been completed, but progress is currently paused pending the Alberta government’s transportation master plan, expected later this year.

Once the province gives the green light, the company plans to move ahead with construction permits, environmental approvals and land acquisition, followed by test-track development, high-speed testing and certification before launching full passenger service.

Founded in 2015, TransPod aims to build an environmentally sustainable, high-speed transportation network linking major cities across Canada and abroad.