The Government of Canada has committed more than C$1.1bn ($767m) in funding to support the expansion of the Quebec City tramway and the Montréal Metro Blue line.
These investments are aimed at bolstering the economy and promoting sustainable mobility within two of Quebec’s largest cities.
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The Quebec City Tramway, known as TramCité, includes the construction of a 19km electric tramway, including a 1.9km long underground section.
It is set to receive an additional C$332.3m from the federal government, bringing its total contribution to more than C$1.4bn.
The federal government previously spent C$1.1bn on the project in July 2019.
The tramway will feature 29 stations, two park-and-ride facilities, five interchanges, an operations and maintenance centre, two centralised control stations, a fleet of around 30 cars and related works.
Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant Steven Guilbeault said: “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.”
The Montréal Metro Blue line extension includes five new metro stations within a 6km underground tunnel and two bus terminals.
It also includes an underground pedestrian tunnel, a mezzanine pedestrian link and other infrastructure elements. The anticipated completion date of the metro stations is 2031.
The project is set to benefit from an increased federal investment of more than C$650m, raising the total contribution to just over C$1.9bn.
The federal government had originally committed more than C$1.3bn to the project.
Additionally, the federal government has committed C$202.8m to upgrade the train control system for the entire Montréal Metro Blue line, including its extension.
This new technology-based system will replace the existing fixed block train control system.
Last month, the Canadian government selected the Cadence Consortium as the preferred private developer partner for the Alto high-speed rail project, which will connect Quebec City and Toronto.
The consortium includes CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRealis, Keolis, Systra, SNCF Voyageurs, and Air Canada.
The Alto project will feature trains capable of reaching speeds up to 200km/h, which is 40km/h faster than the current trains operated by Canada’s passenger rail service.
