Airport shuttle planners return to CP route through Westmount

Two years ago, the previous major shuttle plan preferred the CN line from Central Station through St. Henri and the Turcot Yards, operated by Via Rail. It remained the proposed solution when the airport authority presented a brief in May to the Agglom commission studying Island transport.

Since then, the AMT Ñ which operates the regionÕs suburban trains Ñ has re-evaluated the development of its West Island service, which uses CP tracks. This is overloaded, particularly east of Dorval, so there has been a new effort to expand its capacity, which could be achieved with the suburban and shuttle services operating together.

No decision on the route to be used will be taken until at least next September, Airport Engineering V-P Henri-Paul Martel told the Examiner this week. He is a member of a high-powered team, assembled by the airport, of federal and provincial transport ministers, the AMT and big Montreal.

They have just unveiled a $300,000 set of studies Ñ engineering, social and financial Ñ to look again at both options. There will also be some public consultation.

The announcement was made at the weekÕs end by Senator Michael Fortier, federal Minister for Montreal, with a clear preference for the CP route and improvements to the suburban service, which West Island mayors have been campaigning for since the spring. Fortier is running for a parliamentary seat in Vaudreuil.

ÒWe do not expect answers for 10 months,Ó Martel said. ÒEverything will be investigated again; issues such as whether to electrify, environmental impact, train noise, costs and service levels will be among them. Our only requirement is that the train should travel on tracks dedicated to passengers. Freight trains must not be allowed to interfere with the shuttle service.Ó

Their wish list specifies a 20 minute frequency in both directions from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. with a journey time of 20 minutes.

ÒWe are studying the new Canada Line in Vancouver. The projects are similar, although ours is not as big. They have a system where express trains run to the airport, as well some that stop at intermediate stations.Ó

Martel said that might be the case here. He also anticipated that modern operating methods would be used, with airline check-ins at rail stations or even on the trains themselves.

Mayor Karin Marks was surprised that the CP route issue had been reopened. ÒWe are surely going to have a lot of unhappy citizens who live nearby, even if it is an electrified light rail,Ó she said. ÒCouncil is already studying the impact.

ÒIt goes close to houses in Ville Marie, NDG and Montreal West as well as Westmount. I believe the CN line passes fewer residences.Ó

In any case, Marks had been intending to revive the cityÕs Rail Advisory Panel, and discussing its membership.

It used to be chaired by Cllr. Cynthia Lulham, who relinquished the role following her appointment as a consultant to the Railroad Association of Canada, specializing in proximity issues. However, she hopes to participate with the Panel as her district is most affected by the passing trains.

It is now likely to soon be on a council agenda.

For residents of the West End, there could be benefits too. A service from Vend™me station to the centre of the airport in a little more than 15 minutes could be very convenient for travellers. The site for the rail station has been prepared in the terminal beneath the new hotel now being built.

Montreal-West Mayor Campbell Stuart said he had been told that if the CP option is chosen, it would include burying all the tracks and running them under the town, in a tunnel or a covered trench.

A key result could be the end of the traffic bottleneck and dangerous pedestrian crossings near the station in NDG and Montreal West where the tracks cross busy streets.