Rehabilitation of the Quebec Central Railway reaches milestone

The Government of Quebec announced that the rehabilitation of the Québec Central Railway is now complete on the entire section between Scott and Vallée-Jonction, allowing train service to return to the area. This 18-km segment connects to the existing line between Lévis and Scott.

The work related to the section between Lévis and Vallée-Jonction represents an investment of $106.3 million by the Province for the economic development of the region.

The rehabilitation of this section required, in particular, the replacement of several culverts, the repair of level crossings, the replacement of rails and sleepers, the addition of ballast (gravel under the rails) and the leveling of the railway track.

“We are proud to highlight the completion of the entire section between Scott and Vallée-Jonction. This will allow for the return of freight transport to this part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region. Our government is now continuing work to complete the two remaining sections, between Vallée-Jonction and Thetford Mines. Thank you to all the teams at the Ministry who are making this project a reality,” said Jonatan Julien, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

Highlights

• The Quebec Central Railway rehabilitation project represents an investment of over $500 million.
• Stretching 109 km between Lévis and Thetford Mines, the railway was divided into four sections:
  1. Lévis to Scott – In operation since December 2020;
  2. Scott in Vallée-Jonction – In operation starting in the coming weeks;
     • Part of the section, between Scott and Sainte-Marie, has been in operation since 2022.
  3. Vallée-Jonction to Tring-Jonction – In progress.
  4. Tring-Jonction in Thetford Mines – In progress.
• Work continues to complete the remaining portion of the project, between Vallée-Jonction and Thetford Mines (sections 3 and 4). With the bulk of bridge construction scheduled for completion in 2025, work on the railway has already begun. This work primarily involves replacing rails and ties, as well as regrading the track.

“This marks another milestone in the rehabilitation of rail transport in our region. Furthermore, I am pleased to see that many businesses and workers from Beauce-Nord and Chaudière-Appalaches participated in the construction of this section and are also working on subsequent sections. This is good for our local economy today, and it will be even better in the years to come,” said Luc Provençal, Member of Parliament for Beauce-Nord.

Featured image: Bécancour River Bridge, in Thetford Mines. (Government of Quebec)