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Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the federal government will provide $15 million over two years for the modernization of the Port of Saguenay, which plans to create a rail connection between marine terminal facilities and Quebec’s rail network.

To be completed by March 2014, the port’s $36 million project calls for building an eight-mile rail link from a Roberval & Saguenay Railway line to the port, constructing an intermodal rail yard, including storage and handling areas, and laying tracks for transit operations. Owned by Rio Tinto Alcan, the 100-mile Roberval & Saguenay Railway interchanges with CN.

The new rail link will provide shippers additional transportation options, boost the effectiveness and capacity of port operations, and facilitate interprovincial and international trade, said Canadian officials in a prepared statement. The port is an important part of Canada’s Continental Gateway, a busy trade corridor that handles more than 74 percent of Canada’s international trade via road, rail, air and marine, they said.

“Quebec’s ports play a vital role in ensuring the constant flow of goods and linking Canada to global markets,” said Harper.

The federal government will provide the $15 million through Transport Canada’s Gateways and Border Crossings Fund.