Rehabilitation of the Quebec Central Railway: A timetable that worries the business community!

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Thetford Mines, March 26, 2021. The political, socio-economic, and business communities in the Thetford area are highly concerned about the timing of the recommissioning of the Quebec Central Railway to the Black Lake area of Thetford Mines.

In this regard, a letter was sent to the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel. In it, the prefect of the Appalachian Regional County Municipality (MRC) and Mayor of Kinnear's Mills, Mr. Paul Vachon and the President of the Société de développement économique de la région de Thetford (SDE) and Mayor of Thetford Mines, Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, remind the Minister of the importance of considering all options and measures to optimize the timetable. All this with the aim of making the multi-modal rail and routing transload area accessible and functional at Thetford Mines, no later than the fall of 2023. The business community needs a confirmation quickly.

"According to persistent rumours, the only known element on our part is that the railway to Tring-Junction would be upgraded by the end of 2023. The economic logic that should prevail, in our view, is that the work be carried out up to Thetford Mines at the same time as those carried out at Tring-Junction. A study of the work to be carried out revealed that the track was in better condition after Tring-Junction, and this is because of the terrain relief of the land on which the track was built," commented the prefect Mr. Paul Vachon.

"Even today, in the context of tenders, the contracting authorities are becoming more and more creative in introducing sustainable development criteria into the technical specifications of the bids sought, suitability criteria and award criteria. This greatly penalizes our exporters locally and causes a sense of urgency to find solutions. More than ever, the railway is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly ways to transport and receive goods. As such, it can significantly reduce the environmental impact of transportation by providing sustainable solutions for the present and the future. In today's environment, our companies face significant challenges, and a clear environmental option must be available to them quickly," concluded Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, President of the SDE region Thetford.

We remember that it was with great enthusiasm that the region learned, in December 2019, of the rehabilitation of the Quebec Central Railway from Vallée-Junction to Thetford Mines (Black Lake sector). Indeed, it was during the Rail Transportation Summit in Drummondville that the Minister of Transport made this announcement.

Information: Vicky Lachance, Economic Development Commissioner
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Source: Martin Fecteau, Communications and marketing advisor
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English version is made possible by Megantic English-Speaking Community Development Corporation (MCDC)