Federal and provincial Ministers of Transport, Mr. Legault,
I believe that this project would be a serious mistake, a pipe dream. Indeed, it would involve trains that are still far too slow despite the reduction in travel due to dedicated tracks. Unattractive and costly nonetheless. It is such a shame that so many similar projects do not aim for excellence for Quebecers and Canadians: Trudeau airport, Olympic Stadium, public transport, education, etc.
Citizens need a high-speed train (TGV) starting tomorrow, similar to European trains and capable of competing with and completely replacing planes between Quebec, Montreal and Toronto. An all-electric train that would be carbon neutral and complementary to a ban on short-distance flights between these cities (the case in Europe). Who needs to waste four or five hours, center to center, by plane if it can be done in three hours in a comfortable and environmentally friendly way? By overloading saturated airports?
An electrified, dedicated track, without crossings. Like in Europe, nothing less.
Current rulers, who want to leave a significant mark that we will remember for the next 100 years: build a TGV, even if it seems a little more expensive today (enormously more tomorrow).
Be visionaries like our European friends, at the cutting edge of modernity.
It will be useful, effective and efficient and will save a lot of greenhouse gases by connecting the two most important metropolises. Like Paris-Lyon or Paris-Marseille in two or three hours.
We don’t care about the frequency (which they want to sell us), we want speed. With the usage that will not fail to increase, the frequency will come. As in Europe for 40 years!
I ask you, Ministers, Mr. Legault, block this outdated idea of the TGF and let’s invest together in the TGV, all electric, with green electricity from our province.
You won’t regret it: an unforgettable legacy from the various governments.
Above all, Air Canada, which is completely hostile to such a project, as to any train project, should be excluded from project consortia. They must act in the public interest, without conflict. Stop listening to the sirens of the lobbies, but to the citizen.
And why not a Montreal-New York TGV, which would have enormous potential for economic and tourist rapprochement — 600 km in less than three hours?