SNC-Lavalin wins mandate to study feasibility of potential northern railway route in Quebec

SNC Lavalin receives mandate to study possibility of northern railway in Quebec.

SNC Lavalin

SNC Lavalin has been awarded a mandate to look at the possibility of a northern railway in Quebec.

SNC-Lavalin, a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, is pleased to announce that its consortium with Norda Stelo has been awarded a two-year contract by the Quebec Railway Company Rail SEC (Qc Rail), to undertake pre-feasibility and feasibility studies to assess the technical and economic viability of the development of a possible 370-kilometer railway in northern Quebec. The railway would extend the national rail network, connecting the city of Dolbeau-Mistassini and the deep-sea Port of Baie-Comeau to offer Canadian companies a possible new northern transport corridor fluid to world markets. This contract is in line with the company’s strategic objective to accelerate growth in its SNC-Lavalin Engineering Services’ business.

“We have a long history and extensive expertise in the analysis and assessment of infrastructure projects around the world, particularly in the rail and transit industry,” said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SNC-Lavalin. “We’re proud that the work we will undertake for our client will help them make the best decision about whether to move forward with a project that has the potential to enhance Canada’s economic prosperity.”

Under this contract, SNC-Lavalin will provide topographical, geotechnical, hydraulic, environmental, and civil studies, as well as the proposal of an optimal route for the project, including plans for railway roads, and cost estimates.

“This project is an excellent representation of SNC-Lavalin’s capabilities and end-to-end services,” said Ben Almond, CEO Engineering, Design and Project Management (EDPM) Canada, SNC-Lavalin. “It’s exciting to be involved in a project that could potentially lead to a more efficient and financially beneficial railway route for the movement of goods across Canada.”

If the feasibility studies’ findings are positive, the railway will be the first route to bypass the heavily trafficked Windsor corridor and all its major cities—Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City. It will provide the second most significant transportation route for goods by rail across Canada, linking railways from the provinces of Manitoba to eastern Quebec, boosting northern Quebec’s wider economy development, and helping to facilitate transit to foreign markets. The studies are scheduled to be completed by the end of Spring 2023, and if the findings are positive construction will begin shortly thereafter.