Rehabilitation of the Tring-Jonction - Thetford railway: Request for commitment from Minister François Bonnardel

Jeudi 17 mars 2022, ENGLISH VERSION BY MCDC

This is the essence of a resolution adopted unanimously on March 8 by the SDE Board of Directors and transmitted to the Minister.

VERSION FRANÇAISE

THETFORD MINES, MARCH 16, 2022. The Société de développement économique de la région de Thetford (SDE) is asking the Quebec Minister of Transport (MTQ), Mr. François Bonnardel, to reaffirm the willingness and commitment of the Quebec government to proceed with the rehabilitation of the section of track between Tring-Jonction and Thetford Mines. The board of directors of the SDE Thetford region is also asking the Minister to confirm the budget allocations for the work and to confirm the timetable for putting the section into service at the same time as the Vallée Junction - Tring-Jonction section, in 2024.

This is the essence of a resolution adopted unanimously on March 8 by the SDE Board of Directors and transmitted to the Minister.

The uncertainty and concern of the business, political and socio-economic community of the Thetford region regarding the completion and the timetable for the commissioning of the section are more present than ever. At the first meeting of the project's monitoring committee in May 2021, the MTQ established that the Tring-Jonction - Thetford Mines section would be put into service in mid-2025. Last February, almost a year later, the MTQ was no longer able to define the schedule for the completion and commissioning of the Tring-Jonction - Thetford Mines section. The delays are obvious regarding the rehabilitation of the Tring-Jonction - Thetford Mines section.

Entrepreneurs in the Thetford region have already made multi-million-dollar investments in connection with the return of the train. These business leaders need assurance that the line will be rehabilitated. The need to have a precise timetable for the implementation of the section for the realization of business projects is obvious.

It is important to remember that on December 10, 2020, the National Assembly adopted Bill 66. This bill aims to accelerate the realization of 180 infrastructure projects (schools, roads, seniors' homes, etc.) by reducing the time required for environmental assessments. The extension of the Quebec Central Railway to Thetford Mines is one of the many projects identified by the Quebec government in this bill.

Information:Luc Rémillard, General Manager
418 338-2188 ext. 231 | directiongenerale@regionthetford.com

Source: Martin Fecteau, Communication and marketing Advisor
(418) 338-2188, ext. 231 | communication@regionthetford.com