Montréal, July 6, 2021 ‒ The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal welcomes the initiation of next steps to develop a high-frequency train (HFT) between Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto, announced today by the federal Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Omar Alghabra.
“The high-frequency train in the Québec City-Toronto corridor announced today echoes longstanding calls from the city’s business community and the Chamber,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “It is an essential infrastructure project that will improve the connectivity between large urban centres and enhance their global attractiveness. The deployment of modern, fast, and frequent trains is among the strategic investments for a number of large economic zones across the planet. It is one of the most effective ways to expand the pool of workers and clients for businesses in these zones.”
“The creation of a new section on the north shore of the St. Lawrence between Québec City and Montréal will also increase tourism throughout the area,” Michel Leblanc said. “Plus, this new electrical line reserved for passenger trains will offer an efficient, environmentally friendly means of transportation. It is a responsible investment in the context of a sustainable relaunch.”
“With the REM project, we collectively improved our performance on timeframes for completing major, complex infrastructure projects,” Mr. Leblanc said. “The Joint Project Office for the Canada Infrastructure Bank and VIA Rail is an important first step to ensure construction starts as soon as possible. The main challenge will be staying the course and keeping up the pace so that the public and businesses can soon benefit from a modern, efficient means of transportation along this busiest stretch of rail in Canada.”
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM)
With a network of 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Dominique Talbot
Advisor, Media Relations
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514-871-4000, ext. 4052
dtalbot@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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