Canadian Railroads > "Quebec: Pension fund turns passenger rail operator "

reconstruction and conversion of the existing AMT Deux-Montagnes line

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/rapid-transit/quebec-pension-fund-turns-passenger-rail-operator.html

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> reconstruction and conversion of the existing AMT
> Deux-Montagnes line
>
> http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/rapi
> d-transit/quebec-pension-fund-turns-passenger-rail
> -operator.html

And much more..... Still, I'll believe it when I see it.

Michael 

40 - 50 years ago when the Montreal Metro lines were numbered, Line #3 was reserved for the Deux Montagnes line. There has always been an urge to convert to rapid transit.

I love this brief excerpt of how the "profits" will be distributed: "...Because of its fiduciary responsibilities to protect old-age pension payouts, the deal will guarantee the Caisse first call on profits, with the two levels of government claiming their share only above an agreed-upon threshold. But the Caisse will not ask government to backstop its investment and will assume the business risks of ridership and revenue..."

Profits on rapid transit operation? Shirley, you jest!  ;-)

Why can't they simply run the existing service more often and buy more MU cars ?

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Why can't they simply run the existing service
> more often and buy more MU cars ?

It's a jobs project, silly. Not a transportation project.  (Where have I heard that statement before?)


[/sarcasm]

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Why can't they simply run the existing service
> more often and buy more MU cars ?

About half of this project is brand new service where passenger trains don't run now and mostly the right of way doesn't even exist.

Isn't the right -of-way in the tunnel shared with other AMT lines and also VIA?  Cnetral Station is certainly shared with VIA and AMT.  Seems a little like the hyperloop idea - sounds great until you think about how it would actually have to be implemented.

dwatry Wrote:
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> Isn't the right -of-way in the tunnel shared with
> other AMT lines and also VIA?  Cnetral Station is
> certainly shared with VIA and AMT.  Seems a
> little like the hyperloop idea - sounds great
> until you think about how it would actually have
> to be implemented.

VIA has not operated through the tunnel since the mid-1990s. AMT operates through the tunnel, mostly with trains to and from Deux-Montagnes, which is one of the lines this new train would run. i.e. AMT Deux-Montagnes trains would be replaced by this new train. The only additional trains used by the tunnel are AMT trains to and from Mascouche, which are really not that numerous.