The Quebec government has pledged to invest a record $153 billion in infrastructure over the next decade.

The province earmarked that total while unveiling its 2024-25 budget this week. The investment allocation marks a $3-billion increase the previous provincial infrastructure plan and a 52%, or $53-billion jump since 2018-28 plan was created.

“The sustainability of the infrastructure portfolio has been a key priority of our government for several years now,” said Infrastructure Minister Jonatan Julien in a news release. “It is essential to maintain the public infrastructure needed to deliver government services in good condition.”

Julien said the province will make $2.9 billion worth of investments in health an social services, including major hospital construction, reconstruction, expansion and redevelopment projects.

The education sector is slated to receive an addition $1.1 billion for new classrooms and 1,200 renovation projects.

Higher education will get about $500 million more for a number of university and college projects. The province said it will also launch other projects to provide more student housing.

Meanwhile, the province has set aside $2 billion for road projects, including 700 in 2024-25 and $700 million for public transit.

A total of $100 million has been added to the $900 million originally planned for the social and community housing sector.

from theover A proposed Montreal high-speed train station could be moved outside of the downtown, says the railway project’s leader.

The station is slated to be part of a high-speed rail line stretching along about 1,000 kilometres of dedicated and electrified tracks between Quebec City and Toronto.

An envisioned downtown Toronto station could also be relocated, Martin Imbleau told reporters after speaking Tuesday at a Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal event.

“The initial scheme that we’re considering and discussing is that the stations in Toronto and Montreal would be downtown,” he told reporters after his speech. “I say ‘initial’ because let’s give ourselves some room to manoeuvre to position the infrastructure to ensure that we see a shift in transportation” patterns.”

Imbleau heads Via HFR, a federal Crown corporation that is co-ordinating the project in conjunction with Montreal-based Via Rail, which is slated to operate the railway.

Three finalists are contending to develop the railway. They are are consortia comprised of major Canadian companies and international players: Cadence, Intercity Rail Developers and QConnexION Rail Partners.

Cadence includes Montreal-based La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (through its infrastructure arm), SNC-Lavalin, which has been rebranded as AtkinsRéalis but retained the original legal name; Systra Canada and Keolis Canada.

The Intercity consortium includes, among others, Intercity Development Partners, Toronto-based EllisDon Capital, France’s RATP and Spain’s Renfe Operadora. The third finalist is known as QConnexIOIN Parnters, whose members include Toronto-based Fengate and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, along with others.

The finalists are preparing applications. Via FR wants the consortia to submit proposals that allow trains to reach speeds up to 200 kilometres per hour, similar to European high-speed railways.