exo / Réseau de transport métropolitain (formerly AMT)

[FelixINX]

5 hours ago, Chris_the_traveller said:

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.

I don't know what is their source, but I would be highly surprised to see bilevels on DM.

First, how they would be able to get the locomotives and cars out of the line? The only two connections are Gare Centrale and Jonction de l'Est and both will not be accessible, unless the REM permits exo to travel on their tracks but the width is larger.

Second, exo is already out of locomotives. They will buy new locomotives soon, but never for January.

Regarding the rendering, I really don't like it. It looks empty!

[Frozen Yogurt]

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[FelixINX]

34 minutes ago, Frozen Yogurt said:

I don't know if what I say makes sense, but I think you can ask the same question regardless it's MR-90 or DD trains because once REM opens you need to get whatever on the line out anyways.

Well if the MR-90 will not be used again, you can either dismantle it on site or put the transport costs at the expense of the scrapper.

And I guess single level cars are easier to transport by truck than double deckers?

[Frozen Yogurt]

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[Mark Walton]

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 10:22 PM, FelixINX said:

Well if the MR-90 will not be used again, you can either dismantle it on site or put the transport costs at the expense of the scrapper.

And I guess single level cars are easier to transport by truck than double deckers?

Wasn't the old AMT planning to cycle the MR90s through mid-life refit right about now? And wasn't the use of MLs on the DM line partly to cover that, partly to add sorely-needed capacity, especially in rush hour? Those MLs were built specifically for the tunnel; otherwise they appear to be adaptations of the 2000s. 

[SMS]

I'd be disappointed if these cars could not find a buyer for service elsewhere.

[FelixINX]

On 4/24/2019 at 6:14 PM, Mark Walton said:

Wasn't the old AMT planning to cycle the MR90s through mid-life refit right about now? And wasn't the use of MLs on the DM line partly to cover that, partly to add sorely-needed capacity, especially in rush hour? Those MLs were built specifically for the tunnel; otherwise they appear to be adaptations of the 2000s. 

The initial plan of the AMT was indeed to carry out a mid-life refit but when the REM was announced, this plan was abandoned. After a disastrous 2018 winter, exo did not have the choice to make some replacements, but it was only necessary for them to take at most 5 years. For customers, we can not see the difference, except that the latest cars to be upgraded have polished aluminum, but it dosen't last very long! Also more recently, the blue AMT bands are beginning to be removed, but without adding exo decals like the rest of the fleet.

Although the multilevel was to allow more upgrade of the MR90, I doubt they add much capacity. The DM line at rush hour is filled, both standing and sitting. On the other hand, for MLs, there are many fewer people standing because the corridors are smaller.

I even sometimes wonder if the line will remain electric until it closes. Currently, there is a power break between Val-Royal and Bois-de-Liesse, near the Saint-Laurent ecocentre. Will the section between the ecocentre and the Bois-Franc terminus be fueled in January 2020?

On 4/24/2019 at 9:08 PM, SMS said:

I'd be disappointed if these cars could not find a buyer for service elsewhere.

I would love to see a second life for the MR90! Maybe on the lines 3 Mont-Saint-Hilaire and 5 Mascouche to add more peak departures? I hope at least to see one at the exporail!

---

On another note, exo will be running a special shuttle service between Île-Bigras and Sainte-Dorothée over the weekend. This is a result of the flooding, which cause the île-Bigras bridge to be closed. The service will 24h run between Saturday (April 27) 5h00 to Monday (April 29) 5h00 with 30 minutes headway (except Sunday 0h00 - 5h00, 1 hour headway). Also, Tuesday morning will have service between 1h30 and 5h00. 

During the weekend, the shuttle will be run by the ALP45DP full trainset, in Diesel mode because the line will be unpowered for REM construction. Monday and Tuesday, a road-rail vehicle will run the shuttle.

[rgilmtl]

I can confirm, the Île-Bigras shuttle is using a full 10 car set with an ALP45DP at each end. It was running in diesel mode. 7:30PM run.

[Mark Walton]

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 9:49 PM, FelixINX said:

I even sometimes wonder if the line will remain electric until it closes. Currently, there is a power break between Val-Royal and Bois-de-Liesse, near the Saint-Laurent ecocentre. Will the section between the ecocentre and the Bois-Franc terminus be fueled in January 2020?

The power break is near the substation at A13; engineers coast through it with power off. The idea is to sectionalize the catenary so a failure of one part won't necessarily kill the whole line. 

[smallspy]

14 hours ago, Mark Walton said:

The power break is near the substation at A13; engineers coast through it with power off. The idea is to sectionalize the catenary so a failure of one part won't necessarily kill the whole line. 

 

That's not actually why they install section breaks, but it does help with that.

 

Dan

[FelixINX]

On 5/1/2019 at 6:17 PM, Mark Walton said:

The power break is near the substation at A13; engineers coast through it with power off. The idea is to sectionalize the catenary so a failure of one part won't necessarily kill the whole line. 

I know exactly the location and the procedure, by passing 10 times a week there

If I remember correctly, the other substation is at Gare Centrale, so it will not be operational from January. My question is rather if it is possible to remove the power break to connect Bois-Franc to the rest of the line?

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The Île-Bigras shuttle has been extended one more week!

[Mark Walton]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 9:40 PM, FelixINX said:

I know exactly the location and the procedure, by passing 10 times a week there

If I remember correctly, the other substation is at Gare Centrale, so it will not be operational from January. My question is rather if it is possible to remove the power break to connect Bois-Franc to the rest of the line?

There's another small substation at St. Eustache shop to feed that immediate area.

[Frozen Yogurt]

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[MTL66]

5 hours ago, Frozen Yogurt said:

https://exo.quebec/fr/service-clientele/avis#39243230

https://exo.quebec/fr/service-clientele/acces-toilettes-lucien-lallier

You need to have an Opus card, and fill a form online and wait 5 workdays for a response to... use bathrooms in Lucien-L'Allier station?!

For anyone who has used that station, this is a good thing. I have witnessed so many things happening in those bathrooms over the years. I used to transit through Lucien L'Aillier quite often was I was working downtown. What I don't like is that they are limiting access to people that have an opus card. For someone like me, who rarely takes transit since I own a car, I no longer have a valid opus card and use only solo cards and purchase fares on a need basis at the stations. Hopefully there is a system, where if you have a valid fare, someone at the station can give you access to the bathroom if needed.

[Frozen Yogurt]

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[tomsbuspage]

De nouveaux panneaux d’autobus cet automne! (in French only)

[webfil]

21 minutes ago, sdgta2008 said:

Anyone know what's the new building being built at Gare Vaudreuil?  Indoor concourse/waiting area/ticket sales....?

Yes.

[sdgta2008]

3 hours ago, webfil said:

Yes.

Much appreciated.  Looking forward to seeing it when it's done.

[Chris_the_traveller]

I rode the Deux-Montagnes line today for the first time in a while. I am astonished at how fast work is progressing on the REM. I rode an MR-90 northbound and we had to slow down on the approach to Canora, and while going through the construction sites for both Canora and Mont-Royal stations.

Station Correspondance A-40 is also well underway, there are already tracks laid where the Mascouche daytime layover facility is to be, and the base of the station building itself is mounted. There’s also a signal structure that crosses over the new heavy rail tracks.

I also noticed the spur at the Jonction de l’est towards Ahuntsic station seems to not be electrified anymore. Can anyone confirm? Do the trains now change from diesel to electric and vice-versa at Canora/Mont-Royal Station?

The construction is bittersweet. I wish they would have left the Two Mountains line as a heavy rail line.

[FelixINX]

2 hours ago, Chris_the_traveller said:

I also noticed the spur at the Jonction de l’est towards Ahuntsic station seems to not be electrified anymore. Can anyone confirm? Do the trains now change from diesel to electric and vice-versa at Canora/Mont-Royal Station?

You are correct, the spur isn't electrified anymore, the power mode switch is at Canora / Mont-Royal.

Also down the line :

• We can see foundations at Bois-Franc station (west of the existing platforms) and excavation of the underground passage
• There is a new bridge at Bois-de-Liesse nature park
• The new bridges crossing Rivière-des-Prairies are in construction (my picture is the one between Montreal and Ile-Bigras)
• The maintenance center at Sainte-Eustache is now complete and will be used by exo soon before the REM

Also attached is the new structure at A40 layover facility.

[Chris_the_traveller]

On 4/18/2019 at 4:36 PM, FelixINX said:

I don't know what is their source, but I would be highly surprised to see bilevels on DM.

First, how they would be able to get the locomotives and cars out of the line? The only two connections are Gare Centrale and Jonction de l'Est and both will not be accessible, unless the REM permits exo to travel on their tracks but the width is larger.

Second, exo is already out of locomotives. They will buy new locomotives soon, but never for January.

Regarding the rendering, I really don't like it. It looks empty!

If there is concern that CDPQ-Infra could condemn the Jonction de l’est and that the Deux-Montagnes rolling stock will be « stuck » on the remaining portion of the Deux-Montagnes subdivision... Maybe exo could send the 700s up there to run the rail shuttle to and from Bois-Franc, as they are nearing the end of their lifespan? If there’s any rolling stock that needs to get scrapped in St-Eustache, I imagine it would be less of a loss to scrap the 700s than the slightly younger MR-90s? 

This could be done once the new Chinese bilevels are delivered and tested, which should be sometime this year. Once they are ready for revenue service they could replace the 700s on the Candiac line. 

I think it’s realistic to think that the MR-90s could find a buyer who would operate them a few more years.

[Frozen Yogurt]

I don't know if there exists any railway connections between the Deux-Montagnes line and other railways beyond the Jonction de l'est, but when I passed through the Montpellier pedestrian crossing a couple of days ago, some CN workers were removing the railway linking the DM line and the tracks west of the Mascouche line (not sure how to describe it, it's the one I highlighted in red below), so that's one less way to get the current rolling stocks out of the line.

[FelixINX]

8 hours ago, Chris_the_traveller said:

If there is concern that CDPQ-Infra could condemn the Jonction de l’est and that the Deux-Montagnes rolling stock will be « stuck » on the remaining portion of the Deux-Montagnes subdivision... Maybe exo could send the 700s up there to run the rail shuttle to and from Bois-Franc, as they are nearing the end of their lifespan? If there’s any rolling stock that needs to get scrapped in St-Eustache, I imagine it would be less of a loss to scrap the 700s than the slightly younger MR-90s? 

This could be done once the new Chinese bilevels are delivered and tested, which should be sometime this year. Once they are ready for revenue service they could replace the 700s on the Candiac line. 

I think it’s realistic to think that the MR-90s could find a buyer who would operate them a few more years.

The 700s have received "allo exo" decals while the MR-90s got nothing. For me, it's clear that the MR-90s will stay on the Deux-Montagnes until June 2021, but we could be surprised! Also, if you use the old Comets, you will need locomotives.

As @Frozen Yogurt said, there is only one link left, wich will probably be removed in a couple of months. So what will be running the shuttle will either be scrapped, transported by truck or if Junction de l'est is still open in 2021, by rail.

Concerning the Chinese Bilevels, can they run on the St-Laurent bridge to Candiac? Two levels cars didn't work out in the past, I don't see why it would now.

[Mark Walton]

On 3/22/2020 at 9:58 PM, Frozen Yogurt said:

I don't know if there exists any railway connections between the Deux-Montagnes line and other railways beyond the Jonction de l'est, but when I passed through the Montpellier pedestrian crossing a couple of days ago, some CN workers were removing the railway linking the DM line and the tracks west of the Mascouche line (not sure how to describe it, it's the one I highlighted in red below), so that's one less way to get the current rolling stocks out of the line.

The connection from exo Deux-Montagnes Sub SB to CN St. Laurent Sub WB.

[eclair14]

On 3/22/2020 at 10:35 PM, FelixINX said:

Concerning the Chinese Bilevels, can they run on the St-Laurent bridge to Candiac? Two levels cars didn't work out in the past, I don't see why it would now.

The restriction on the Candiac line is if there is very strong wind (85 km/h or + IIRC) they cannot use bi-level railcars on the bridge over the St-Lawrence