exo / Réseau de transport métropolitain (formerly AMT)

[joseph99929]

On 1/3/2019 at 1:01 PM, joseph99929 said:

Sud-Ouest lines 97 and 99 are suspended as of Jan 1st: 

https://exo.quebec/fr/service-clientele/avis#34458794

Service between Les Coteaux, Coteau-du-Lac, St-Zotique and Valleyfield is replaced with Taxibus Valleyfield service, though only open to residents of those towns. It's unclear what, if anything, will replace the link between Valleyfield and Vaudreuil.

Contacted the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on Facebook and they told me that they'll be announcing something for line 99 within the next 2 weeks, that they found a new contractor for the route.

The whole situation is absolutely ludicrous. It's a terrible failure of organization, you would think they'd have prepared an alternative first before cutting the service! People will have to let go of jobs because of this, not to mention the students at Valleyfield CEGEP, all for a couple of weeks without service. Keep in mind, there are no alternatives to travel between Vaudreuil and Valleyfield besides 3 hours of transit through the city. The alternative between the West Island and Valleyfield is almost as long.

[FelixINX]

3 hours ago, joseph99929 said:

Contacted the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on Facebook and they told me that they'll be announcing something for line 99 within the next 2 weeks, that they found a new contractor for the route.

The whole situation is absolutely ludicrous. It's a terrible failure of organization, you would think they'd have prepared an alternative first before cutting the service! People will have to let go of jobs because of this, not to mention the students at Valleyfield CEGEP, all for a couple of weeks without service. Keep in mind, there are no alternatives to travel between Vaudreuil and Valleyfield besides 3 hours of transit through the city. The alternative between the West Island and Valleyfield is almost as long.

It's a shame that they don't offer an alternative. They should paid the ARTM for service until they launch the replacement service.

As a CEGEP student, most of us only start on the 21 so that could be the reason why they wait (but I'm not at Sallaberry). Letting commuters without service for administrative details is not a good management!

[Frozen Yogurt]

.

[joseph99929]

On 1/10/2019 at 10:34 AM, joseph99929 said:

Contacted the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on Facebook and they told me that they'll be announcing something for line 99 within the next 2 weeks, that they found a new contractor for the route.

The whole situation is absolutely ludicrous. It's a terrible failure of organization, you would think they'd have prepared an alternative first before cutting the service! People will have to let go of jobs because of this, not to mention the students at Valleyfield CEGEP, all for a couple of weeks without service. Keep in mind, there are no alternatives to travel between Vaudreuil and Valleyfield besides 3 hours of transit through the city. The alternative between the West Island and Valleyfield is almost as long.

The service is back starting this Monday, but on a different schedule: https://www.taxibusvalleyfield.com/horaire/ and scroll down to Line 99.

[FelixINX]

21 hours ago, Frozen Yogurt said:

On the exo  website, they put up an article (in French) titled "How the Temperature is Regulated in Buses"...

But why then they talk about brakes on trains? Am I missing something there?

I guess they just copy pasted a previous article and did forget to write the actual article.... Anyway (I think) most people dosen't read these as they are technical but I found them very interresting.

6 hours ago, joseph99929 said:

The service is back starting this Monday, but on a different schedule: https://www.taxibusvalleyfield.com/horaire/ and scroll down to Line 99.

Just in time for the CEGEP back to school. At least 

[Frozen Yogurt]

.

[Chris_the_traveller]

I imagine the new bilevels exo is supposed to be receiving from China will arrive with the new exo livery and decals.

[FelixINX]

1 hour ago, Chris_the_traveller said:

I imagine the new bilevels exo is supposed to be receiving from China will arrive with the new exo livery and decals.

I hope they will! Anyway at the time they signed the contract, they knew that the AMT would be replaced by the RTM so they probably added a clause to put a new livery on the cars.

[4seasonscentre]

Hi,

I am planning to do a bit of rail fanning.

I may start off in Central Montreal, go to the end of the line, then ride it back. 

Information about how to actually use the EXO system is limited on their website. Do I load the trips onto an OPUS card using the machine, and need to cancel each ride before boarding?

So if I was going to zone 6 and back, I would load 2 rides, cancel before boarding in central montreal, go to the terminal station, step out, cancel again, and reboard?

[webfil]

33 minutes ago, 4seasonscentre said:

Hi,

I am planning to do a bit of rail fanning.

I may start off in Central Montreal, go to the end of the line, then ride it back. 

Information about how to actually use the EXO system is limited on their website. Do I load the trips onto an OPUS card using the machine, and need to cancel each ride before boarding?

So if I was going to zone 6 and back, I would load 2 rides, cancel before boarding in central montreal, go to the terminal station, step out, cancel again, and reboard?

I am not sure what you are referring to by « cancelling » your ride.

A Solo will be provided if you buy 6 tickets or less; you don't need an Opus. A ticket is valid for 120 minutes, no matter which direction, as long as you are in a zone equal or inferior to what your ticket is entitled.

Always tap the card at the station before boarding on a train to validate your ticket. You do not need to tap exiting the train.

[FelixINX]

1 hour ago, 4seasonscentre said:

Hi,

I am planning to do a bit of rail fanning.

I may start off in Central Montreal, go to the end of the line, then ride it back. 

Information about how to actually use the EXO system is limited on their website. Do I load the trips onto an OPUS card using the machine, and need to cancel each ride before boarding?

So if I was going to zone 6 and back, I would load 2 rides, cancel before boarding in central montreal, go to the terminal station, step out, cancel again, and reboard?

Welcome aboard!

On which lines are you planning to go?

The OPUS system is quite complicated. Two years ago, I had a day off and decided to discover our rail system. I did all the lines expect exo3 (Mont-Saint-Hilaire) and Hudson station. If you would like my schedule, send me a PM and I'll give it to you. For this trip, I used my OPUS card with 6 zone 6 tickets. It was quite difficult because sometimes the 120 minutes runs out and you are on a train. After talking with AMT customer service, he told me that I can try to validate the next ticket when the previous one is still valid, but the machine may say no. 

He told me "we don't really know what the validators do in that case. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't". But if you ever get checked by an inspector, you can explain your situation and should not have a problem.

Have fun!

[4seasonscentre]

3 minutes ago, FelixINX said:

 

On which lines are you planning to go?

The OPUS system is quite complicated. Two years ago, I had a day off and decided to discover our rail system. I did all the lines expect exo3 (Mont-Saint-Hilaire) and Hudson station. If you would like my schedule, send me a PM and I'll give it to you. For this trip, I used my OPUS card with 6 zone 6 tickets. It was quite difficult because sometimes the 120 minutes runs out and you are on a train. After talking with AMT customer service, he told me that I can try to validate the next ticket when the previous one is still valid, but the machine may say no. 

He told me "we don't really know what the validators do in that case. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't". But if you ever get checked by an inspector, you can explain your situation and should not have a problem.

Have fun!

Haven't decided which lines. Are any particularly nice?

Maybe I should use OPUS, plus a solo card so one is always valid?

[anyfong]

10 hours ago, FelixINX said:

Welcome aboard!

On which lines are you planning to go?

The OPUS system is quite complicated. Two years ago, I had a day off and decided to discover our rail system. I did all the lines expect exo3 (Mont-Saint-Hilaire) and Hudson station. If you would like my schedule, send me a PM and I'll give it to you. For this trip, I used my OPUS card with 6 zone 6 tickets. It was quite difficult because sometimes the 120 minutes runs out and you are on a train. After talking with AMT customer service, he told me that I can try to validate the next ticket when the previous one is still valid, but the machine may say no. 

He told me "we don't really know what the validators do in that case. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't". But if you ever get checked by an inspector, you can explain your situation and should not have a problem.

Have fun!

One more question to add. Though I have lived in Montreal, I never needed Opus (b/c I lived in downtown), but specifically about that, is Opus a stored-value card where you can add money to it and use it at different transit agencies around Montreal/Quebec City, similar to Presto or Compass? Or can you only load discrete tickets/passes to it? It was really hard to find an answer to it.

[webfil]

On 1/30/2019 at 8:28 AM, anyfong said:

 is Opus a stored-value card where you can add money to it and use it at different transit agencies around Montreal/Quebec City, similar to Presto or Compass?

No.

[FelixINX]

14 hours ago, 4seasonscentre said:

Haven't decided which lines. Are any particularly nice?

Maybe I should use OPUS, plus a solo card so one is always valid?

exo6 - Deux-Montagnes is a must. Being the only electric commuter line in Canada (maybe the only heavy electrified train line?), You can't miss it. It also pass through the Mount-Royal tunnel wich is really nice.

The exo2 - Saint-Jérôme line is also nice with some really nice scenery at the end.

exo5 - Mascouche have a power transition at Ahunstic station wich is also worth checking.

Don't buy an OPUS card only for this. It will cost 16$ (I think) and a solo card will be enough. I am taking the train two times a day for the last 6 months and no check so far. Inspectors are there, but not for validation purposes.

6 hours ago, anyfong said:

One more question to add. Though I have lived in Montreal, I never needed Opus (b/c I lived in downtown), but specifically about that, is Opus a stored-value card where you can add money to it and use it at different transit agencies around Montreal/Quebec City, similar to Presto or Compass? Or can you only load discrete tickets/passes to it? It was really hard to find an answer to it.

As @webfil said, no stored-value. You can only put 4 types of tickets/passes at the time.

You can also use OPUS in Quebec City with the RTC and STLévis.

[FelixINX]

The exo solo card is now avaible! Replacing the old one, with a way better scheme in my opinion, it is now available in 8 colors.

Unfortunately, there are still rare. exo won't tell me where to find one! At Gare Centrale and Lucien-L'Allier, there are not avaible yet (as of monday).

 

[Chris W]

Is Exo Haut-Saint-Laurent using an actual bus (Autobus Dufresne cutaway) or are they continuing to use the minivan? 

[FelixINX]

Starting March 23th, the construction of the REM will be extended into the tunnel.

Most train on the exo6 line have a new schedule with about 5 minutes of padding (probably related to a speed reduction in the tunnel). Same for exo5, but only 3 trains. This will cause the cancellation of 1 train all week and 2 more on friday (all train are outside rush hour).

Later, in May, Canora and Mount-Royal station will be closed and a temporary platform will be built between the two stations. The trains will then run on the west track (that have been under dirt for the past 6 months).

https://exo.quebec/fr/a-propos/medias-publications/communiques-presse/schedule-changes-mascouche-deux-montagnes-train-lines-temporary-platform

[webfil]

A new player in the transit game of the Greater Montréal area was announced this morning : Société des Traversiers coming to Montréal this spring, with contracted route between PAT and Old Port. Topic here :

 

[Mark Walton]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 1:58 PM, webfil said:

A new player in the transit game of the Greater Montréal area was announced this morning : Société des Traversiers coming to Montréal this spring, with contracted route between PAT and Old Port. Topic here :

 

Might it bleed off some traffic from the Mascouche line? What will they call it - Bus Maritime?

[webfil]

16 hours ago, Mark Walton said:

Might it bleed off some traffic from the Mascouche line?

I'd say it aims more at the 410/430 customership, but one can legitimately think it accounts for a REM mitigation measure. Mascouche peaked in ridership growth (stable for 2016-2017, no numbers yet for 2018), but the demand in commuting from the eastern tip is on the upside. With work upcoming on Métropolitaine, Notre-Dame, Louis-H-Lafontaine and Mont-Royal tunnels, the only space remaining for transit offer growth is on the water ― or in the old CN right-of-way the AMT bought for its Via-Bus transitway... but that's another story!

16 hours ago, Mark Walton said:

What will they call it - Bus Maritime?

STQ does not name its crossings. It's likely to be called Pointe-aux-Trembles ― Vieux-Montréal.

[anyfong]

On 1/30/2019 at 2:51 PM, FelixINX said:

As @webfil said, no stored-value. You can only put 4 types of tickets/passes at the time.

It's a little off-topic for sure, but the discussion about the lack of stored-value is an important one since the instructions on the Opus website is quite unclear about that. The lack of stored value severely limits the capability of the card (i.e. the passes bought at one transit agency, say the STM, cannot be used elsewhere, like RTC). In contrast to the stored-value on Presto where you can use it in the GTA and Ottawa which makes it far more useful and flexible. I have used stored-value cards elsewhere (Compass in Vancouver, Oyster in London) and found them very useful and flexible. Not so on Opus. It's very limiting, the technology is outdated, and it needs to change.

[webfil]

On 3/8/2019 at 4:58 PM, anyfong said:

It's a little off-topic for sure, but the discussion about the lack of stored-value is an important one since the instructions on the Opus website is quite unclear about that. The lack of stored value severely limits the capability of the card (i.e. the passes bought at one transit agency, say the STM, cannot be used elsewhere, like RTC). In contrast to the stored-value on Presto where you can use it in the GTA and Ottawa which makes it far more useful and flexible. I have used stored-value cards elsewhere (Compass in Vancouver, Oyster in London) and found them very useful and flexible. Not so on Opus. It's very limiting, the technology is outdated, and it needs to change.

It's not because it does not work as you are used to that it's worthless. Opus is a ticket media rather than stored-value because there is a comprehensive fare integration throughout Québec and Montréal metro areas ― which has not been the case for other regions (Ottawa, Toronto-Hamilton). The late AMT engineered fare integration between systems and Québec metropolitan communitu forces systems to accept the Laissez-passer métropolitain on its territory, whilst Metrolynx opted for discounted transfers.

Stored-value card is hence useless for 99.9% of the Montréal customership, as a zone 5 exo pass, for example, gives access to all systems and destinations between Mirabel and Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Sainte-Martine and Repentigny, Hudson and Calixa-Lavallée, at bargain price. And at 170$, it's a damn good deal. Same thing for Québec, where a commuter can do Stoneham-Lévis using 4 different systems with the same 137$ pass.

Now the lack of exo train+bus tickets is something to rant about, but it's another story... and it's so easy to fix!

[WMATAC40LF]

According to Railway Gazette, EXO has ordered an additional 20 CRRC cars, so the order now comprises 8 cabs and 36 coaches. The rendering is interesting (the cab looks a lot like the BBD CEM Bilevel design).

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/montreal-increases-crrc-coach-order.html?fbclid=IwAR3jChRN3RYuGGsv4iuvPUzXYx-iHjR4DOKcjyuCcsSpevj7eJyyFkId01I

[Chris_the_traveller]

1 hour ago, WMATAC40LF said:

According to Railway Gazette, EXO has ordered an additional 20 CRRC cars, so the order now comprises 8 cabs and 36 coaches. The rendering is interesting (the cab looks a lot like the BBD CEM Bilevel design).

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/montreal-increases-crrc-coach-order.html?fbclid=IwAR3jChRN3RYuGGsv4iuvPUzXYx-iHjR4DOKcjyuCcsSpevj7eJyyFkId01I

Interesting that they would go into service on the DM line. Maybe they want to retire the MR-90s as soon as the tunnel closes.

I hope sooner or later they will add an additional trainset to the VH line for additional service on their new most important line.