VTrans: Montreal passenger-rail project slowed; next engineering step needs about $500,000

The Vermont Agency of Transportation told the House Transportation Committee on Jan. 7 that binational work to advance Amtrak service to Montreal remains active but has slowed in the past year.

Dan, the agency rail director as referenced in the hearing, said Vermont and Quebec continue monthly conversations, "but we are moving slower" and the work has not advanced as quickly as it had two years ago. The next needed step, he said, is to convert a completed concept study into engineering drawings and bid documents for a station and a pre-clearance facility; Dan estimated that step at about $500,000.

"Quebec had verbally said, 'we're gonna pay for this next step,'" Dan told the committee, but he said recent Quebec budget adjustments mean that money is not currently available. "They're not saying they're never gonna pay for it. They're just saying it's not in their budget today," he said.

Dan described the sequencing needed beyond engineering: after firms bid the engineering work and cost estimates are firm, the partners will need to negotiate funding shares for construction, operations and security/immigration preclearance. He said technical upgrades also required further along the corridor include bridge repairs, continuous welded rail and crossing improvements to increase speed and reliability.

Committee members asked about timelines and cost estimates; Dan said the $500,000 is a ballpark figure to reach an engineering stage where bids and construction estimates can be obtained. He emphasized the project is not stopped but is moving slower than in prior years and that progress depends on partners and funding commitments on both sides of the border.

No formal agreement or funding decision was reported at the hearing; Dan said VTrans will continue coordination and provide updates as the parties identify funding options for the next engineering phase.