Menu
On July 26, the federal government carried out a major cabinet reshuffle, which included appointing Pablo Rodriguez as Minister of Transport. He is the Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier in Montreal.
He takes over from Omar Alghabra, who had served as minister since January 12, 2021. Omar Alghabra’s tenure including confirming the government’s intention to start procurement on High Frequency Rail and make it electrified, setting up VIA-HFR as a separate entity, and initiating a new study of rail service enhancements in Southwestern Ontario. His team also worked with VIA Rail to advance the first stages of procurement for the replacement of the long distance and remote service fleet. His tangible achievements include delivering funding for needed station repairs in the Quebec-Windsor corridor and additional funding to proceed with the maintenance centre modernization projects needed to support VIA Rail’s new fleet.
Pablo Rodriguez previously served as Minister of Canadian Heritage, and is also Liberals’ “Quebec lieutenant.” He has regularly appeared alongside Omar Alghabra at transportation announcements.
Transport Action Canada has written to Minister Rodriguez, welcoming him to the new role and also highlighting the opportunities to rapidly advance the government’s work to improve mobility across Canada.
Photograph: Facebook page of Minister Pablo Rodriguez