Quebec spending $60 million to improve and upgrade railway system

A train passes through Lac Megantic, Que. on Thursday, June 22, 2023. FILE PHOTO THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Quebec is shelling out $60 million to upgrade the province's rail network.

Minister of Transport and Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault announced the new funding on Tuesday, saying that it is part of the CAQ government's commitment to "more low-carbon transport solutions."

"By offering more efficient and more accessible railways, we contribute to the development of the economy of our regions," she said in a news release. "Thus, all of the supported projects strengthen our freight transport chains by making them more reliable and more competitive."

The funding, the government says, will make it possible for railways to adapt to climate change, increase efficiency and competitiveness and improve rail, road and maritime transport integration.

The Railway Association of Canada claims train transport is one of Canada's greenest transportation modes. Trains, the association says, are three to four times more fuel-efficient than trucks, and a single locomotive can haul a tonne of goods more than 220 kilometres on a single litre of fuel. This is the equivalent of up to 300 heavy trucks.

"We know that the transportation sector is the largest emitter of GHGs (greenhouse gases) in Quebec and, in this sense, every measure counts," said Environment Minister Benoit Charette. "Today's change has the potential to have, in the longer term, a downward effect on the number of gasoline vehicles on our roads for the transport of goods."

Quebec has already injected $440 million for the rail line between Vallée-Jonction and Thetford Mines, which is scheduled to return to service in late 2025.

It has also earmarked $870 million for the rehabilitation of the Gaspesie railway, which is set to be completed in 2026.