AMT releases 2010-2012 capital spending plan

Montreal’s Agence Métropolitaine de Transports (AMT) released on November 12th its three years capital spending plan.

The complete document, in French only, can be viewed at the following link: http://www.amt.qc.ca/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=1938&LangType=3084

The plan contains a lot of projects, some of them already approved and funded, others in advanced planning stage and likely to be undertaken soon, and others which may yet never materialize owing to funding, political or technical issues.

The following table summarizes AMT’s main -related service expansion projects. Not all projects are shown – those involving only preliminary studies, parking lot expansion or routine maintenance were omitted.

Line(s) Description Status Planned completion date All Acquisition of 177 Bombardier Delivery of the first 160 Last car delivery Multilevel cars for use on the Deux- cars in progress; funding scheduled for 2012 Montagnes (22 cars), St-Jérôme (54 for the last 17 cars not cars), St-Hilaire (36 cars), Candiac yet approved. (18 cars), Vaudreuil/Rigaud (17 cars) and Train de l’Est (30 cars) lines.

The cars are numbered in the 3000- serie. They will allow the retirement of the Vickers gallery cars (900-serie) and most of the Hawker-Siddeley ex- GO Transit single level fleet (100, 200, 1000 and 1200-series) All Acquisition of 23 Bombardier First twenty units on Prototype to be tested in ALP45DP dual-mode locomotives for order; funding for the last Pueblo’s TTCI in early use on the Deux-Montagnes (3 3 units not yet approved. 2011; delivery to begin in units), St-Jérôme (7 units), St-Hilaire late 2011 and to be (5 units), Vaudreuil-Rigaud (3 units) completed by the end of and Train de l’Est (5 units) lines. 2012. CP lines Build new day storage and Pending approval; likely Construction to being in commuter train maintenance facility to be authorized soon 2010 and to be at CP’s Sortin yard. completed around 2012. CP lines Build a new rail access to Sortin yard Pending approval from the East to avoid interference with CP freight traffic at Ballantyne. CN lines Build new day storage and Pending approval; likely Construction to being in commuter train maintenance facility to be authorized soon 2010 and to be at Pointe St-Charles, on the site of completed sometime the now-defunct CN Pointe-St- around 2012. Charles shops. CP lines Upgrade CP’s Westmount Authorized To be completed by the subdivision trackage by installing end of 2012. welded rails, ties and ballast, upgrading the CTC system to modern standards and extending the third (South) main 3 miles from Westmount to Montreal West, skirting South of Vendôme station’s eastbound platform. CP lines Transform Lucien l’Allier Station into Pending approval; may a modern multi-modal terminal with yield to an even more a new roof spanning platforms and ambitious project tracks, rebuilding out-of-service proposed by real estate tracks 1 and 2, build new developer Cadillac- linking the passenger concourse with Fairview, aiming to build the underneath Métro station. new tracks and platforms over St-Antoine street to reach Windsor station’s passenger concourse on Peel street. Deux-Montagnes Acquire CN’s Deux-Montagnes Stalled because of Transaction expected to subdivision between Wellington financing problems. go through in 2010. (milepost 0.0) and the end-of-track near mile 21.6 Deux-Montagnes Build a new terminal station in St- Pending approval Eustache. Involves extending the Deux-Montagnes siding 0.4 miles North. Deux-Montagnes Extend the second main track 4.7 Pending approval; likely Scheduled for completion miles from Val Royal to Roxboro- to be authorized soon, by the end of 2012. Pierrefonds. Involves a but will first have to clear second platform at Sunnybrook environmental public station. auditions. Deux-Montagnes Build an overpass at Jct de l’Est, to Pending approval; likely Scheduled for completion carry the Deux-Montagnes to be authorized soon. by the end of 2011. subdivision below CN’s St-Laurent subdivision. Vaudreuil / Install CTC on CP’s Vaudreuil and Pending approval; likely To be completed by the Rigaud Winchester subdivisions between to be partly or wholly end of 2011. In the long- Dorval and St-Lazarre, on both main approved owing to the term, AMT wishes to tracks. Includes new dual crossovers rebuilding of Dorval extend the third main at St-Lazarre and possibly other intersection, which track all-the-way to Ste- locations, new HBD set-out tracks at prompts relocation of Anne-de-Bellevue to Beaconsfield and Ste-Anne-de- AMT and VIA stations, offer express service. Bellevue and extension of the third and moving the CP tracks (North) main from Dorval to Pine North of their current Beach station, with a 45mph high- location. speed turnout on the West end. Vaudreuil / Acquire CP’s M&O subdivision Pending approval Rigaud between Dorion (mile 0.0) and Rigaud (mile 16.4) Vaudreuil / Install CTC on the M&O subdivision Pending approval Rigaud between the overnight storage facility in Vaudreuil and Hudson station to allow for two new morning and afternoon departures serving Hudson. Vaudreuil / Upgrade the M&O subdivision to Pending approval Rigaud FRA Class 3 standards, allowing 60mph running (up from 30). St-Jérôme Build a new station in Mirabel (St- Stalled because of Janvier), between Blainville and St- encroachment on Jérôme. agricultural-zoned land. St-Jérôme Install CTC on CP’s Parc subdivision Pending approval; likely Scheduled for completion between Outremont and St-Jérôme. to be approved soon. by the end of 2011. In Includes restoring the second main the long-term, AMT plans track between St-Martin Jct and Ste- to restore the double Rose (4.3 miles), building second track all the way to Ste- station platforms at Vimont and Ste- Thérese, including on the Rose stations and building new CTC- Rivière des Mille Iles controlled sidings at Ste-Thérèse, bridge. Blainville and Mirabel. St-Jérôme Build a new underground connexion Pending approval; between CP’s Parc subdivision near Outremont and CN’s Deux- Montagnes subdivision in the Mount Royal tunnel. This new electrified rail link will divert the line from Lucien l’Allier to Central station and shave 15 minutes off travel time. St-Jérôme Expand the St-Antoine overnight Pending approval; likely Scheduled for completion storage facility to handle up to 7 to be approved soon. by the end of 2011. trainsets. St-Hilaire Build a new 1500’ station track in St- Approved. Scheduled for completion Hilaire. by the end of 2010. St-Hilaire Build two new high-speed Approved. Scheduled for completion crossovers East of the Thériault by the end of 2010. overnight storage facility Candiac Build a new crossover at Seaway to Pending approval allow Southbound trains to cross from the East to the West main. Candiac Build a new freight train-length Pending approval passing siding on CP’s Lacolle subdivision (former Napierville Junction Railway) to prevent meeting freight trains from tying up the plant at Delson. Candiac Extend the second main track South Pending approval between Delson and Candiac and build a CTC-controlled crossover. Candiac Build a new overnight storage facility Pending approval in Candiac to replace the temporary storage tracks at Delson. Candiac Replace the temporary Candiac Pending approval station by a new permanent station. Train de l’Est Build and operate a new commuter Project is authorized but Originally scheduled for rail line between Montreal, stalled. The Repentigny- completion by 2012, but Repentigny and Mascouche. The Mascouche link is found will most likely miss that line would diverge from the Deux- to be technically target. Montagnes subdivision at Jct de l’Est unfeasible under the and head North on CN’s St-Laurent prescribed budget. The and Joliette subdivision. It would line’s roundabout routing then follow a new alignment in will not be car- A640’s median between Repentigny competitive and misses and Mascouche up to a connexion the growing Eastern Laval with QGRY’s Trois-Rivières suburbs, and may be the subdivision. The project includes result of political eleven new stations and a new pressure from the private overnight storage facility in consortium building A25. Mascouche. A likely escape scenario for AMT involves building two distinct lines. The first would link Montreal and Repentigny (later to be reach l’Assomption) and the second would link Montreal and Mascouche, using the Mount Royal tunnel and CP’s Parc subdivision, diverging from the St- Jérôme line at St-Martin Jct. Build and operate a new high- Under study – stalled frequency rail link between because of a dispute with Downtown and PET airport in ADM over alignment. Dorval. Station space is ready below the airport terminal. The rebuilding ADM favours a CN of Dorval intersection plans on alignment to Central relocating CP’s Vaudreuil subdivision Station, running through a few feet North of its present Ballantyne, Turcot, St- location, allowing a new, dedicated Henri and Pointe St- double-track line to be build Charles. This routing between CN’s Montreal subdivision would involve a and CP’s Vaudreuil subdivision. considerably larger amount of new AMT plans on routing the new infrastructure and may service on a CP alignment to Lucien even prove feasible only l’Allier station, using existing or underground, owing to already planned trackage between lack of available room for Ballantyne and Lucien l’Allier. new tracks at Ballantyne and St-Henri. Marieville Build and operate a new commuter Under study – unlikely to rail line between Montreal, Chambly materialize owing to CN’s and Marieville. The line would unwillingness to preserve diverge from the St-Hilaire line at the abandoned railbed as Cannon on CN’s Rouses Point whole. subdivision to Castle Gardens. It would then be routed on the abandoned bed of CN’s Granby subdivision (which is the former Montreal & Southern Counties line). Boisbriand Build and operate a new commuter Under study. rail line between Montreal, Laval and Boisbriand. The line could be extended further to Mirabel (St- Augustin). It would diverge from the St-Jérôme line at Ste-Thérèse. This project would be in competition with planned service expansion on the St-Jérôme line. Beauharnois Build and operate a new commuter Under study. Unlikely to rail line between Montreal, materialize owing to Châteauguay and Beauharnois. It political tensions with would diverge from the Candiac line Native people, who at Adirondack Jct in Kahnawake, illegally removed the rails using the abandoned CSX Montreal for scrap between subdivision (former Conrail and New Adirondack Jct and York Central Montreal Secondary). Châteauguay. La Prairie Build and operate a new commuter Under study. rail line between Montreal and La Prairie. It would diverge from the Candiac line at Delson, using CN’s Massena spur between Delson and La Prairie. All Electrify the commuter train Under study. network in steps. All Acquire rail lines used by AMT Under (secret) commuter trains. Likely targets negotiations. include the Westmount and Vaudreuil subdivisions between Ballantyne and Lucien l’Allier and the Parc subdivision between Outremont and Blainville. May involve other rail lines as well.