Canadian Railroads > Last Days for the Montreal Electrics

Today is supposed to be the last day of operation for the Montreal electric commuter trains.  briancdn showed us the operation that started in 1918, and then ended in the '90s.  The replacement equipment, which is now about 25 years old, is to be retired after the end of service today.  I was in Montreal earlier in the month (before the state of emergency in Quebec was declared) and spent some time documenting the operation as much as I could.  When the line from Central Station through the tunnel to Deux Montagnes was rebuilt with modern 25 KV catenary, all trains consisted of pairs of motor cars and trailers.  Dual mode electrics with bi-level coaches were later added for the line to Mascouche, and in the last few years the locomotives also handled some trains to Deux Montagnes, also using Bombardier bi-level coaches.

The following photos are all from the morning rush hour on March 5, 2020.

The first train I encountered, from the level crossing at the former Mont-Royal station, was a deadhead move north at 07:58.  The east track is out of service and covered in snow right here, but the train will cross over to the other track at the medium-to-clear signal in the distance.

At 08:07, I shot 928 heading south under the Trans Canada Hwy. from a footbridge over the tracks.

From the other end of the same footbridge, EXO 1206 was heading downtown at 08:26.  These trains are only 6 cars long, instead of the 10-car trains that go to Deux Montagnes.

GTD

 

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On the other end of the Mascouche train is a dual mode ALP-45DP, running in diesel mode (note the pantograph is down).  The Mascouche line is only electrified to one stop past the junction with the Deux Montagnes, and when I rode that train two years ago, the changeover happened at that station.  It apparently now has been happening just before the train goes into the tunnel under Mont-Royal.

With the tunnel portal under construction, the Canora and Mont-Royal stations were combined into one, with the single platform covering the east (usually northward) track.  Here comes EXO train 927 to take me out to the end of the line, about 15 miles to the north.

I expected to ride the same set of equipment back downtown, but we arrived on a very short platform on the right, and I had to walk through the whole train down to the south end before disembarking, and then boarding train 934, led by motor 422, for the trip back to Central Station about 10 minutes later.  I assume 927`s equipment crossed over farther north and became 936, the next train south.  The boxcab electric that was outside the station on my visit 2 years ago was nowhere to be seen.  Hopefully it`s been moved, and not scrapped.

So at least I did a little better capturing the modern electrics than I did with the originals.  My sole output for that is a single print of a centre cab electric, taken from the street near Central Station, in 1976.

GTD

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Because of the Coronavirus situation, the government has ordered the REM work to stop, and the closure of the Mount Royal tunnel is now "postponed until further notice."

The current reduced-service schedules will continue for a while.

Ray

Great series!

I've been wondering why they decided to drop it and convert it to light rail. Isn't patronage pretty heavy on that line?

cn6218 Wrote:
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> Today is supposed to be the last day of operation
> for the Montreal electric commuter trains. 
> briancdn showed us the operation that started in
> 1918, and then ended in the '90s.  The
> replacement equipment, which is now about 25 years
> old, is to be retired after the end of service
> today.  I was in Montreal earlier in the month
> (before the state of emergency in Quebec was
> declared) and spent some time documenting the
> operation as much as I could.  When the line from
> Central Station through the tunnel to Deux
> Montagnes was rebuilt with modern 25 KV catenary,
> all trains consisted of pairs of motor cars and
> trailers.  Dual mode electrics with bi-level
> coaches were later added for the line to
> Mascouche, and in the last few years the
> locomotives also handled some trains to Deux
> Montagnes, also using Bombardier bi-level
> coaches.
>
> The following photos are all from the morning rush
> hour on March 5, 2020.
>
> The first train I encountered, from the level
> crossing at the former Mont-Royal station, was a
> deadhead move north at 07:58.  The east track is
> out of service and covered in snow right here, but
> the train will cross over to the other track at
> the medium-to-clear signal in the distance.
>
> At 08:07, I shot 928 heading south under the Trans
> Canada Hwy. from a footbridge over the tracks.
>
> From the other end of the same footbridge, EXO
> 1206 was heading downtown at 08:26.  These trains
> are only 6 cars long, instead of the 10-car trains
> that go to Deux Montagnes.
>
> GTD
>
>  

Ray_Murphy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Because of the Coronavirus situation, the
> government has ordered the REM work to stop, and
> the closure of the Mount Royal tunnel is now
> "postponed until further notice."
>
> The current reduced-service schedules will
> continue for a while.
>

I kind of wondered if that might happen, that`s why I sort of hedged with the ``Today is supposed to be the last day of operation`opening line. 

It`s not a great situation to be in, but maybe it will give Brian a chance to shoot some pictures after all.

GTD

I don't think it was the plan to shut down all heavy rail electric operations with the Mt Royal tunnel, but use the MU's for the outer end of the line with bus bridges and the Orange Line Metro to get downtown.

https://exo.quebec/en/news/rtminaction

Rolling stock

For the Deux-Montagnes line, the MR-90 cars will be upgraded. For the other five lines, ten diesel locomotives and 20 two-level 2000-series cars will be purchased to ensure more efficient service. This additional rolling stock will make it easier to maintain the fleet by having a reserve of cars.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/20 14:49 by joemvcnj.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> I don't...

That information is way out-of-date.

Ray

Thanx for some splendid views.
...Lorenzo

Thanks for this. I did my last ride out to Deux Montagnes back in January.

And I came across this litte tid-bit of information......

”While Montreal's Metro is under construction, talks between independent suburban municipalities on the island of Montreal and adjoining Ile Jesus, now served by Canadian National's electrified suburban service through the Mount Royal Tunnel to St. Eustache/Deux Montagnes, have developed to a stage where a firm is to be hired for transit consultation on converting the CNR into rapid-transit. As reported previously, CNR has offered to operate the service provided that a separate authority is created to own the system and meet the cost of construction and operating the $25 million system. Reports indicate the system would extend into the south of Central Station, and possibly be extended to the site of CN Bridge Street station in order to serve the Montreal entrance of the 1967 Exposition. Unlike the Montreal Metro, however, plans apparently call for rolling stock to be large and of high capacity, running on conventional railway track”

Quoted from Canadian Rail Magazine....way back in June 1964



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/20 07:18 by ghCBNS.

zorz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great series!
>
> I've been wondering why they decided to drop it
> and convert it to light rail. Isn't patronage
> pretty heavy on that line?
>

The REM is to offer much more frequent service:

Every 2 1/2 minutes is rush hour and 5 minutes off-peak.

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cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ..... The boxcab electric that was outside the
> station on my visit 2 years ago was nowhere to be
> seen.  Hopefully it`s been moved, and not
> scrapped.
>

Yes.....I was wondering about that too when I was in Deux Montagnes in January. Perhaps one of the Montreal TO members can comment?

Here's 6710 there about 10 years ago....

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cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ray_Murphy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Because of the Coronavirus situation, the
> > government has ordered the REM work to stop,
> and
> > the closure of the Mount Royal tunnel is now
> > "postponed until further notice."
> >
> > The current reduced-service schedules will
> > continue for a while.
> >
>
> I kind of wondered if that might happen, that`s
> why I sort of hedged with the ``Today is supposed
> to be the last day of operation`opening line. 
>
> It`s not a great situation to be in, but maybe it
> will give Brian a chance to shoot some pictures
> after all.
>
> GTD

Embarrassed to say I've never photographed the current MU's. Great series of shots!

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/20 12:57 by briancdn.

Great series and background detail, thank you.

The light rail seems to offer extended service, 20 hours daily is impressive.

This article from last October says CN boxcab 6710 was being relocated elsewhere in Deux Montagnes as a result of REM construction.

http://www.ns-news.com/dms-boxcab-electric-relocating/
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/20 12:21 by railfan400.