The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that criticism of Canada's high-speed rail project is growing, with many supporting the Opposition's call to scrap it. The Globe's contributing columnist John Rapley writes that shelving the modernization of Canada's outdated transportation infrastructure could be a mistake. However, critics raise valid concerns: The current Alto plan may not yield the returns expected from a successful high-speed rail project, suggesting it's the right idea but executed poorly. In the 21st century, economies of agglomeration are crucial for national economic success. Cities drive idea generation and contribute significantly to labour productivity, with research showing a 2-per-cent to 5-per-cent increase for each population doubling. Almost half of Canada resides in the corridor between Quebec City and Windsor, Ont., but the population is spread across various nodes, making movement time-consuming and costly. An ideal HSR project would join not only the major cities in the corridor together but integrate the population centres along the axis in such a way as to create an agglomeration of nearly 20 million people, putting it on a par with the major megacities of the world economy.