Link between Quebec city and Montreal: Couillard prepared to support the project VIA Rail

Patrick Bellerose

Wednesday, 31 January 2018 10:34

UPDATE
Wednesday, 31 January 2018 11:46

Look at this article

The prime minister Philippe Couillard has attempted Wednesday morning to reassure the elected provincial and municipal, who invite him to drop his project of monorail in favour of the train high-frequency (TGF) offered by VIA Rail.

“I’ve already told you that I was in favour of the TGF, and that I wanted that the federal government clearly indicates its intentions for investment and that the level of technology also is modern on the quebec side,” said Philippe Couillard at the entrance to the caucus présessionnel liberals who held to the national Assembly.

The prime minister was reacting to an open letter published by the mayors of Trois-Rivières, Yves Lévesque, Drummondville, Alexandre Cusson, who ask him to abandon the idea of a monorail, was launched at the end of the congress of the Quebec liberal Party last fall. The member of the CAQ, Benoit Charette, is also a signatory to the letter.

Electoral issue

The project to train high frequency offered by VIA Rail would link the cities of Quebec and Windsor, Ontario, passing through Trois-Rivières and Montreal. The creation of a “hub” in Drummondville, would also serve the South Shore with the intercity traffic.

Last week, the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has said that he is favourable to the project of VIA Rail, a federal Crown corporation.

In addition, the support of the government Couillard at TGF could become an issue in the provincial election of 2018 in the Mauricie, a region coveted by the CAQ.

Monorail

Arrested at the entrance to the caucus présessionnel, the minister of Transport, André Fortin, has also spoken out in favour of the proposed VIA Rail. “We think this is a good project, the train high frequency,” he commented.

However, the technology used on the quebec side must be the same as that which would be put in place in Ontario, ” said the minister. “If Ontario has a high-speed train, we also want a high-speed train”, said André Fortin. Not as fast as the TGV, the TGF would be based on dedicated lanes and frequent departures to improve connections between Quebec city and Montreal.

These remarks contrast with those of the prime minister last autumn. At the time of launch the idea of a monorail, Philippe Couillard had rejected the idea of a TGV. “I don’t have the taste to replace a train by another train. We can do things much more modern,” he decided.

As for the monorail, the prime minister Couillard points out today that it could serve other regions of Quebec. “The technology of the monorail is interesting, it is quebec, then, we should all be happy to assess a technology in quebec,” said Philippe Couillard. […] There are probably other places in Quebec where you can experience this technology.”