to complete the upgrading of the Gaspé rail line to Gaspé. The latter are also keen to stress that they will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that the proposed timetable for commissioning the freight train to Gaspé by the end of 2026 is met.
The vital issue of maintaining rail infrastructure is regularly discussed by
, which includes Solidarité Gaspésie, the Comité de citoyens pour le développement (Gaspé-Percé), the Côte-de-Gaspé Chamber of Commerce and the prefects of the Bonaventure and Avignon RCMs, Éric Dubé and Mathieu Lapointe respectively.
The citizens' and business groups sitting on the Table welcome the Quebec government's firm resolve to bring the train back to Gaspé. To this end, the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has announced exceptional rehabilitation work on the Port-Daniel-Gascons / Gaspé section at a cost of $518 million. This brings the total investment to $871.8 million for the complete rehabilitation of the Gaspé railroad. Finally, these groups underline the hard work accomplished over several years by regional elected officials and various players in civil society to ensure the train's return.
The timetable for the freight train's return would allow service to Gaspé by December 2026, with rehabilitation work starting as early as 2023.This proposed timetable also reflects the fact that the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable will be issuing consolidated calls for tenders in the near future.
Finally, given the importance of the return of the passenger train, we hope that the discussions already underway between the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable and Via Rail will continue. We hope that the passenger train will be able to run on the entire Gaspé rail network as soon as its rehabilitation permits.
"We welcome this announcement; this return of the train will also contribute to the implementation of a desirable innovative socio-ecological transition. We will also continue to be vigilant within the Table to ensure that the various upcoming rail rehabilitation stages are carried out as planned" - Carol Saucier, representative of Solidarité Gaspésie and spokesperson for the Table d'échange et de mobilisation sur le transport ferroviaire.
"Marie-Claude Brière, General Manager of the Côte-de-Gaspé Chamber of Commerce.
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