Quebec City: 3 Visual Concepts of the Tramway Sign

Quebecers will be asked to vote, in 2024, to choose one of three Citadis (Spirit model) streetcar “visual signatures” provided by Alstom.

The three concepts, which are quite similar and were presented at a press conference on Friday morning, are called Boréal, Harfang and Citadelle.

The paddles are the same on the three models, but above all the brightness is different.

Each of the three concepts aims to highlight an aspect that is unique to Quebec City. He explained that citizens will be able to participate in choosing the design of their tram in 2024.

When asked about allowing citizens to vote only on the aesthetic elements of the tram line, Mayor Marchand noted that residents had already voted on the project during the municipal elections in the fall of 2021.

He accused those still campaigning for a referendum on the tram line of wanting to “kill the project”.

“We won’t start over, every time, [avec] this idea [de] Some opponents [qui] he wishes […] Killing the project, you always want to consult. And even if this referendum is positive, in a year we will be told: we have to hold a referendum because some elements have changed and people want to speak out. Quebec’s mayor, Bruno Marchand, responded with visible anger.

Claude Villeneuve, Leader of the Opposition in City Hall, for his part, lamented the fact that it “leaves the impression that it is little to do with the cosmetic details we end up resorting to”.

“The Lion’s Share” by La Pocatière

For the first time since the locomotive contract was signed, two senior Alstom executives attended a press conference about the Quebec tramway. The latter assured that the “lion’s share” of the construction of the trains would go to the Alstom plant in La Boucatere.

As the contract signed on April 24 states, this will account for “more than 25%” of construction. But Jean-François Packwood, Alstom’s Quebec Tramway Line project manager, doesn’t want to be too precise about the percentage of construction at La Pocatiere.

We are creating a supply chain […] Mr. Packwood said La Bocatiere will assemble the vehicles, collect the spark plugs, do the static tests, and do the dynamic tests. No other manufacturer does so much domains [tâches]. ”

cool and uneven

Senior Alstom executives insisted the cars selected were “suitable for winter” in Quebec, and were already in circulation elsewhere in Canada, such as Ottawa and Toronto.

Thermal insulation, double glazing and several heating elements (including floors) were introduced in order to prove that the tramway would withstand frost, wind, snow, ice and bad weather. They reiterated that the comfort of passengers is a priority.

In particular, it will be possible for train doors to open only on demand during extreme cold, it was reported. The electric wires can be well scraped in case of snow thanks to the “scraper” added to the “pantograph”, that is, the articulated arm that touches the electric wire from above.

Senior Alstom executives also confirmed that Quebec’s terrain did not present any particular problem.

Each electric tram will have four units and seven pairs of doors.

It will accommodate 272 passengers, including 88 seats. Universal accessibility will be guaranteed in the tram, which will also be able to accommodate bicycles.