All over the world, rail has demonstrated its superiority over road in environmental matters. Transporting a ton of goods requires ten times less energy by train than by truck. For more than a century, Quebec had a branched and efficient railway network. Railway construction has long been the driving force of Montreal’s economy. However, for complex reasons, Quebec and its leaders show total disinterest in the rail transport of goods and people. […]. Among our politicians, this is coupled with a serious misunderstanding of the Quebec rail network and its possibilities, as evidenced by the assertion of the Minister of Transport according to which there is only one link for the transport of goods between the banks of the river in Quebec. We only rely on trucking, without regard to other modes of transport.
A very surprising attitude from a government that prides itself on autonomy, when Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia have owned regional railways for a long time. Since the 1980s, Quebec has lost half of its railway network to total indifference, without the press being upset and without the public authorities intervening. However, we still have quality rail infrastructure, which is cruelly underutilized. […]. It could be used advantageously to relieve our roads of the transport of bulk and non-priority materials such as wood chips and pitoune.
Instead, in the regions, trucks clog and overload roads poorly suited to heavy transport, causing noise pollution and air pollution. These roads must constantly be repaired at great expense; we are always proposing new ones, like Highway 20 between Trois-Pistoles and Rimouski. Minister Fitzgibbon rightly said that there are twice too many cars in Quebec. There are also way too many trucks. Looking forward to a rail policy in Quebec, with a considerable budget!
To watch on video