Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hints feds will fund Montreal light rail

Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaid the federal governmentcannot wait to examine the ambitious light railtrainproject proposed for the greater Montreal area by Quebec's pension fund.

It's been the strongest hint yet that the Trudeau government would financially back the project thatwould change the face of public transitin the city.

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"We're very anxious to workwith theCaisse [de dpt et placement du Qubec] to see how the federal government could be a partner in this project,"Trudeausaid.

The electric, fully automated 67-kilometre rail line would connect 24 stationsstretching from the South Shore to Montreal's Trudeauairport and beyond, to both theWest Island and Laval by 2020.

The Caisse says it's willing to invest $3 billion in the $5.5-billionproject.The province and the federal government would have to makeup the rest.

Trudeauhailed the proposal as the kind of project the government is excited to invest in.

"This is one of the priorities of this government, to invest in public transit," Trudeau said.

As part of his speech to the biennial convention for the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party, Trudeau alsoaddressed members on the party's comeback in Quebec during the 2015 federal election.

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"Quebec is once again a strong voice within our federal government," Trudeau said to a round of applause.

The Liberalsmade stunning gains by sweeping 40 ridings across the province in ared wave that carriedTrudeau to Ottawa.