Montreal's rail renaissance - Montreal, Canada

Railway Age, July, 1992 by Greg Gormick

CP Rail expects to begin negotiations with Quebec later this summer. But before that happens, other changes will begin to take hold on the existing commuter services. The CP Rigaud line has already benefited from government-funded station improvements, a direct connection to the Metro west of downtown, the refurbishment of the 1950s-vintage equipment and the purchase of Bombardier-built, Pullman-designed Comet coaches and cab cars. Ridership has climbed from 1.3 million in 1981 to 4.3 million last year.

Even more spectacular will be the rebuilding of CN's electric service north through the three-mile Mount Royal Tunnel to Deux-Montagnes. Its 78-year-old box motors, 60-year-old heavyweight couches, and 40-year-old electric multiple unit cars are a rail fan's dream and a commuter's nightmare. Earlier this year, Quebec Transport Minister Sam Elkas announced a $250-million program to totally rebuild the line by the end of 1995. The final product will be virtually indistinguishable from to present system. Twelve station will be rebuilt and fully integrated with Montreal's bus and Metro lines. Twenty miles of track, roadbed and signaling will be rebuilt to increase the peak operating speed to 60 mph. Double track will be extended and a new catenary and transmission system will change the power to 25,000 volts a.c. from 2,400 volts d.c. And 39 married pairs of stainless steel electric m.u.'s from Bombardier will whisk commuters northwest of the city to such communities as Val Royal, Roxboro and the town of Mount Royal, Canada's only railway-planned suburb.

Further, passengers on the Rigaud line will benefit from CP's massive redevelopment of its downtown Windsor Station. New commuter facilities will be an important part of the complex, which will include the original 1988 CP station and corporate offices, commercial space, the new Forum sports palace (home of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team) and direct underground connections to the Metro, Place Ville Marie, the CN/VIA Central Station, and all of Montreal's vast subterranean network of stores, restaurants and theaters.

Says O'Meara, "The combination of BMI with all these improvements will truly result in a commuter rail renaissance for Montreal. We will soon benefit from our railways just as Toronto, New York and Chicago already do. I don't think Montrealers can afford to not get out of their cars and get back on the trains."