The Via expansion involves a new rail line that runs through Quebec and Ontario. The Infrastructure Bank’s involvement will be announced Tuesday in Trois-Rivières, Que., and Peterborough, Ont. Via’s original proposal was estimated to cost at least $4 billion, with an extra $2 billion if the trains were to run on electric power. The bank will provide millions of dollars in funding, though the exact amount is not yet known. (Globe and Mail)

Talking point: This project—initially proposed to run from Montreal to Toronto through Ottawa and Peterborough—can potentially expand as far east as Quebec City. The plan would bypass smaller cities and towns along Lake Ontario’s north shore; and would also deploy traditional passenger trains, rather than their faster, full high-speed counterparts that are used in Europe and Asia. Though the bank’s involvement doesn’t represent a full go-ahead for Via Rail, it’s a significant milestone. That’s because the bank’s mandate is to fund revenue-generating infrastructure that it deems to serve the public. With a budget of $35 billion, the Infrastructure Bank has only supported two other projects since its creation in 2017: Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain light rail system, and an expansion of Go Transit in the Greater Toronto Area.