City to study Montreal-sherbrooke shuttle train proposal
The City of Sherbrooke will be studying the findings of the study revealed Tuesday on the impact of a passenger train shuttle between Sherbrooke and Montreal.
According to the study, a train of this kind would have a significant impact on the value of residences located near railway stations. For example, in Sherbrooke, the increase would be about 1.25 per cent, which would make it possible to recover a possible investment.
The project proponent, François Rebello, is planning to meet with the representatives of the affected municipalities, which would include Sherbrooke, Magog, and Bromont, to convince them to invest the $8 million needed for the project.
The entire project is valued at $90 million, including upgrading of the track, and according to the most optimistic timetables, the first passengers could move over the renovated rails in the fall of 2019. A market analysis made public in May, suggests that a train running at 55 miles per hour could generate up to 2,050 daily trips on the Montreal-sherbrooke route.
Before committing to the project, Sherbrooke wants to take the time to analyze the situation. "I think there are some interesting things in this,” says Councillor Bruno Vachon. “We have to see if it is realistic to apply them to the reality of Sherbrooke. There is talk of an increase in residential property values, but we also have to take into consideration that the station is located in a park, in a more commercial and less residential environment. There are investments to be made in this station and I'm not saying that it's not interesting. On the contrary, it's something that will be looked at.
The City of Farnham has already announced a contribution of $450,000 over 10 years, provided that the other partners follow suit.
The study was conducted by Jean Dubé, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Spatial Planning and Regional Development (SADH) and at the Center for Research in Planning and Development (CRAD) at Université Laval.