and thats the biggest thing, every wing of gov't is using it as blackmail/hostage to get what it wants.
CN is gonna play hardball too.
It's not a simple as a done deal.
Provincial government is behind it big time, huge disappointment if they can't bring this home. + political win before next election. They're the one's that initiated this from day 1. If it fails it won't be on their end.
Federal government has been more silent but they are massively behind on their promised infrastructure spending, there is leftover money from last budgets commitment no reason they'd say No.
CN has nearly no role in this. AMT presently owns all the rails that would be in the transport corridor and those assets will be transfered to CDPQI when that agency is abolished and replaced.
CDPQI also bought the entire elevated entrance into central station from CN presumably because they couldn't come to a compromise and just bought them out.
Besides for 1-2 stations where they have operations near one an other, and the REM's maintenance facility being located in PSC near CN's train depot. CDPQI and CN have worked out everything needed.
The consortiums who are interested are known and have submitted their applications, the technical details have pretty much all been determined.
Since this is technically a partnership and not just the government "giving" money to CDPQI for the REM, the hangling that's going on is in regards to the structure of said partnership, revenue sharing and probably future rights to buy out partners.
This is much closer to being done than you know. CDPQI has a 600 person team working on this. I'd be shocked if it doesn't get built.
