| Work Detail |
The Government of Canada announced an additional federal contribution of more than $1.1 billion to help complete the Quebec City tramway and Montréal Metro Blue line extension projects. These two major projects will improve mobility in Quebec City and the Montréal metropolitan area, promote sustainable mobility, support urban and economic development and consolidate the public transit network in these two major Quebec cities. “Our government believes in public transit. We are committed to improving and expanding public transit infrastructure across Canada. Close collaboration between federal, provincial and municipal governments is essential to achieving this goal,” said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Quebec City Tramway (TramCité) This project involves the construction of a 19 km 100 per cent electric tramway line, including approximately 1.9 km underground. Work includes the universally accessible construction of 29 stations, five interchanges, two park-and-ride facilities, an operations and maintenance centre, two centralized control stations, a fleet of around 30 cars and related works, including the construction or modification of engineering structures, as well as landscaping and the installation of street furniture. The vehicles will be powered by a hybrid overhead contact line and batteries. A federal contribution of over $1.1 billion had already been approved in July 2019. The Government of Canada is increasing its contribution to the project by $332.3 million for a total federal contribution of over $1.4 billion. “Quebec City remains the only city of comparable size in the country not yet to benefit from a modern public transit system. With the support of the Government of Canada, the TramCité project will rectify this situation. In addition to offering fast, reliable, comfortable and economical transportation, it will help reduce traffic congestion, stimulate new housing construction and create thousands of good jobs for the citizens of the Quebec City region,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, MP for Québec. Montréal Metro Blue line extension The project includes five new metro stations in a tunnel spanning some six kilometers, two bus terminals, an underground pedestrian tunnel, a mezzanine pedestrian link and various operational infrastructure elements. Commissioning of these metro stations is scheduled for 2031. The federal government had initially committed to contribute more than $1.3 billion to the Blue line extension project. The federal government announced that it will increase its contribution to the project by more than $650 million to just over $1.9 billion. In addition, the federal government also announced an investment of $202.8 million in the train control system project, which will replace the current fixed block train control system with a technology-based system for the entire Montréal Metro Blue line, including its extension. “By supporting these two major projects, we will improve access to modern, efficient public transit, which will reduce congestion, reduce air pollution, stimulate economic development and create thousands of jobs in Montreal and Quebec City. Since 2015, we’ve supported more than 2,000 public and active transportation projects across the country, and acted to make life easier for families while protecting the environment,” said Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada, and MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie. |
