The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, July 26, edition that the federal government last week selected three consortiums to submit proposals to build and operate a high-frequency passenger rail network that would slash travel times in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto triangle by as much as a third. The Globe's Konrad Yakabuski writes that a winning bid will be chosen in mid-2024. After decades of false starts and shelved high-speed-rail feasibility studies, procrastination appears to have finally given way to determination amid the pressures of climate change and the continued service deterioration on Via Rail. Unfortunately, the sticker shock of a project that would cost tens of billions of dollars threatens to derail the high-frequency rail (HFR) dream before it ever leaves the station. The Globe pegs the price tag for HFR at $30-billion to $40-billion. Federal cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez would not confirm the price. Some experts think it could be even higher. Ottawa has asked each consortium to present two options: the first would involve running trains at about 200 kilometres an hour along the entire network; the second would allow for higher speeds on certain segments.