At a time when experts (HEC, ÉNAP) are openly questioning the Quebec government’s strategy regarding decarbonization (The duty, March 29, 2024), considering it a pretext for an energy-intensive reindustrialization which will alter the territory of Quebec and quietly privatize the state company Hydro-Québec, other less expensive means are available to the government to achieve this objective. The Quebec Minister of the Economy himself stated that Quebec’s automobile fleet should be reduced by half. To achieve this happy result, a culture of public transportation including rail is necessary. The investments required, for example, by the establishment of a Quebec railway company (SQCF) would be immediately offset by the substantial savings made with the reduction in highway maintenance costs (and the non-need to create them). news) and the road network in general.
This company would begin its activities on a small scale in order to limit costs by benefiting future expansion from the experience acquired during the first trials. For example, the Montreal-Quebec corridor for passenger transport would be served by individual self-propelled electric wagons (called in English automotive), with two departures per day from each city. Subsequently, the activities of this company would gradually be extended to all of Quebec, at least to its main geographical axes.
It goes without saying that these achievements would be accompanied by a vast awareness campaign demonstrating the multiple advantages of such a change in traffic patterns (rational use of time, reduction in stress and risk of collisions, reduction in monoxide levels). and resource depletion, etc.). This rail network would also, of course, be used to transport goods, limiting damage to the road network caused by heavy equipment. The trucking lobby does not govern. Rail transport would finally be a royal way, without collateral damage, to achieve Quebec’s objectives in terms of decarbonization.
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