A possible high-speed train (TGV) in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor should stop in downtown Montreal and not north of Mount Royal, the Plante administration said Monday.
The elected official responsible for transport within the executive committee made this position known on Monday, while the municipal council adopted a resolution in favor of the construction of a TGV.
“We would really like a service in the city center, obviously with the highest standards of urban integration”, indicated Sophie Mauzerolle while speaking at the town hall.
Mme Mauzerolle was thus responding indirectly to the French company Alstom, a fervent promoter of the TGV, which mentioned last month in Metro the scenario of a Montreal “Gare du Nord”. This one, built north of Mount Royal, would allow the TGV to serve the metropolis while avoiding the difficulties of integrating a new railway line downtown. Travelers could reach their final destination with the public transport network.
“Currently, the Mount Royal tunnel is no longer accessible because of the REM, so you have to go around the mountain to reach Central Station,” said Olivier Marcil, Vice-President Public Affairs for Alstom in Canada, in Metro. A “Gare du Nord” would avoid “losses of time and costs”, he added.
Late Monday night, Montreal City Council passed a motion from independent councilors Craig Sauvé and Serge Sasseville asking the federal government to opt for a TGV in the Quebec City-Toronto corridor, rather than the currently proposed high-frequency train (TGF). .
“We have an incredible opportunity. The federal government will invest 6 to 12 billion to improve rail between Toronto and Quebec. It is better to ensure that we can run fast trains there,” said Mr. Sauvé. “Now is the time to connect these communities and families with affordable, safe, fast and clean rail service. »