• Tweet
 

PROGRESS REPORT ON LE MASSIF DE CHARLEVOIX'S THREE ENVIRONMENTS: THE TRAIN WILL RIDE THE RAILS IN SEPTEMBER

Baie-Saint-Paul, April 14 2011 – On the occasion of its latest Project Management Office (PMO) meeting aimed at providing a timely update on the evolution of current worksites at the Mountain, the Farm and on the Train of Le Massif de Charlevoix, tonight in Baie-Saint-Paul Groupe Le Massif’s executives officially announced that rail cruise operations will commence September 9 2011.

Proposed rail cruise departures and arrivals will take place from le Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, in Québec City, with a stopover scheduled mid-cruise, in La Malbaie. Further enhancing the rail cruise experience is the option of extending the getaway by booking overnight accommodations among select lodging partners and scheduling a return rail cruse for the following day – or any other preferred date.

Progress on Track & Rail Cars
Tonight’s meeting assembling the Charlevoix’s leading municipal, tourist, economic and political representatives also served to demonstrate that restoration work has been advancing at a steady pace in view of putting the Train into service by September: “To date, our teams have completed the mechanical upgrades on all rail cars, which are now undergoing paintwork. Mechanical, electrical and structural engineering projects have almost reached completion on all regular rail cars,” explained Daniel Gauthier, President and CEO of Groupe Le Massif.

He also took a moment to specify that in terms of interior ambience, “sound feature and entertainment capsule production has practically been finalized, as are the gastronomic lunch and dinner menus developed by the team at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu.” Service simulations are scheduled for the months of May and June.

As for the railway, the track rehabilitation project reaches completion by this summer. Only structural work on bridges and culverts remains, along with the finishing touches to the embankment rip-rap across certain sections of the territory. Mandatory risk analyses will be conducted over the next few months, wrapping up this programme which in all will have extended over 18 months.

Summer Development Projects at the Mountain   
During the summer months, work will commence in anticipation of Winter 2011-12, including the installation of a 10km family luge run and its infrastructures. “In addition, we will be erecting two railway stations (Grande-Pointe Station at the base of the Mountain, and Gare du Quai in the village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François), and a pulsed gondola – Le Transit – to convey visitors between Grande-Pointe Station and the Massif Express Gondola loading area. On-mountain, the bridge on L’Ancienne will be replaced with an arched culvert, while a footbridge will extend from the Massif Express loading area to the base chalet,” he reported.

Hotel Complex of La Ferme and the Rail Shuttle: In the Viewfinder for Spring 2012
In Baie-Saint-Paul, work is advancing well on the Farm’s main building. Construction of the great hall is currently underway, along with work on roof seals, exterior walls and windows. This summer, construction begins on the remaining buildings and the train station, to aim for a gradual opening of the hotel complex in Spring 2012.

Upon completion, the hotel will feature 150 rooms fanned out among five lodging pavilions, a multifunctional venue, public square, terroir market stall, spa centre and railway station. And lastly, the Charlevoix’s very first public transit system – the rail shuttle – will also be unveiled at the grand opening of the hotel complex, in Spring 2012. 

Le Massif de Charlevoix is a tourism and recreation destination that unfurls across three environments in the Charlevoix: The Mountain, the Farm and the Train. Beyond the ski area, the destination aims to offer a flurry of experiences in tourism – from Québec City to La Malbaie, and Petite-Rivière-Saint-François to Baie-Saint-Paul. Among its features are a touring train and a diversified lodging offer, of which a 150-room hotel complex.



View and download presentation images.