Ottawa increases its investment in two public transport projects in Quebec

Ottawa will invest more than another $1.1 billion in the Quebec City tramway and the extension of the Montreal metro’s blue line.

“Our government believes in public transport. We are determined to improve and develop public transit infrastructure across Canada,” said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, on the eve of a likely federal election call.

The federal government has decided to increase its funding for the construction of a fully electric tramway line in Quebec City by $332.3 million. This sum will be added to the $1.1 billion already approved in July 2019.

After many ups and downs, construction of the Tramcité will include 29 stations, an operations and maintenance centre and two centralized control stations.

As for the extension of the blue line in Montreal, the federal contribution will increase by more than $650 million, bringing the total to just over $1.9 billion.

Five new metro stations will have to be built over approximately six kilometres of tunnel for this project, on top of work on two bus terminals, an underground pedestrian tunnel and a mezzanine pedestrian link.

Ottawa will also invest $202.8 million in the train control system project, to replace the current fixed-block train control system with a technology-based system throughout the metro’s Blue Line.

“By supporting these two major projects, we will improve access to modern, efficient public transport, which will reduce congestion and air pollution, stimulate economic development and create thousands of jobs in Montreal and Quebec City,” said Quebec Lieutenant and Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity Steven Guilbeault.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews