How the CN/CPKC railway lockouts affect commuter trains in Montreal

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Montreal’s commuter train authority is scrambling to set up alternate bus services for three commuter train lines that were shut down Thursday by a lockout at Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway. But for trains using CN railways or their own lines, it’s business as usual. Here is how this work stoppage will affect your commute:

Exo commuter trains

The possible disruption comes days before the busiest time of the year at Exo, with summer vacations ending and students returning to classrooms.

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Two Exo lines — Mascouche and Mont-St-Hilaire — are on CN railways. The CN lockout does not affect its rail traffic controllers, who are under contract, so those commuter rail lines are unaffected.

The CPKC rail network is used by three Exo train lines — Vaudreuil/Hudson, St-Jérôme and Candiac. All three of those lines cannot function because CPKC’s rail traffic controllers are locked out.

Exo announced Tuesday it would put in place shuttle buses on the three affected lines as of Monday. However, “the bus shuttles … will not be able to replace the entire service of the three affected train lines, especially during the back-to-school period.” Exo is focused on providing service only during rush hour.

About 21,000 rides per day are taken on the three affected lines.

The authority is urging train users to explore alternative routes using Exo’s regular bus service or the services of the Société de transport de Montréal and Société de transport de Laval.

Commuters can consult Exo’s online trip planner at exo.quebec/en/trip-planner. They should uncheck the train option when using the planner.

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Shuttle buses

Coach-style buses (which will not accept bicycles) will be made available for free during weekday rush hours on the following schedule, starting Monday, Aug. 26:

• Line 11 (Vaudreuil-Hudson)
  • Shuttle 1, from Vaudreuil station (Platform 13) to Côte-Vertu métro station (Platform 21), from 5 a.m. to 8:50 a.m., and back from 3:15 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.
  • Shuttle 2, between Dorion station (Platform 11) and Vaudreuil station (Platform 11) from 4:50 a.m. to 8:20 a.m., and from Dorion station to Pincourt station from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Line 12 (St-Jérôme)
  • Shuttle 1, from St-Jérôme station to Cartier métro station (Platform 13), from 5 a.m. to 8:50 a.m., and back from 3:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
  • Shuttle 2, from Mirabel and Blainville stations to Cartier métro station from 5 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., and back from 3:35 p.m. to 7:05 p.m.
  • Shuttle 3, from Rosemère station to Cartier métro station (Platform 13) from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and back from 4:10 p.m. to 6:40 p.m.
• Line 14 (Candiac)
  • Shuttle 1, from Ste-Catherine station to Brossard REM station (Platform 2) from 5 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., and back from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Shuttle 2, from St-Constant and Delson stations to Brossard REM station (Platform 1) from 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and back from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Shuttle 3, from Candiac station to Brossard REM station (Platform 1) from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and back from 3:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

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Exo train station parking lots will remain open and ticket machines will remain online, however ticket validators will be deactivated.

Existing alternative routes

Routes marked in bold connect to a métro or REM station

• Line 11 (Vaudreuil-Hudson)
  • Hudson: Exo bus 21 (to Vaudreuil station)
  • Vaudreuil: Exo bus 40
  • Dorion: Exo buses 15 and 40
  • Pincourt: Exo buses 15, 35 and 40
  • Île-Perrot: Exo buses 15, 35 and 40
  • Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue: STM bus 212 and Exo buses 35, 44, 45 and 335
  • Baie-D’Urfé: STM bus 411
  • Beaurepaire: STM bus 411
  • Beaconsfield: STM buses 200, 201, 217, 401, 411 and 425
  • Cedar Park: STM buses 201, 202 and 485
  • Pointe-Claire: STM buses 203, 211, 405, 411 and 425
  • Valois: STM buses 202, 203, 204
  • Pine Beach: STM buses 204, 211, 411 and 425
  • Dorval: STM buses 191, 195, 202, 203, 204, 209, 211, 405, 411, 425, 460, 485, 495 and 496
  • Lachine: No alternatives — closest STM bus is 195 on Sherbrooke St.
  • Montréal-Ouest: STM buses 51, 105, 123, 162
  • Vendôme: Métro orange line, STM buses 17, 37, 90, 102, 104, 105, 124
• Line 12 (St-Jérôme)
  • St-Jérôme: Exo bus 9
  • Blainville: Exo buses 9, 71 and 72
  • Ste-Thérèse: Exo bus 9
  • Rosemère: Exo buses 9, 22, 24 and 28
  • Ste-Rose: STL buses 63, 65 and 73
  • Vimont: STL buses 27 and 45
  • De la Concorde: Métro orange line, STL buses 2, 33, 37 and 42
  • Bois-de-Boulogne: STM buses 135, 164, 171, 180
  • Chabanel: STM buses 19, 54, 135, 146
  • Parc: Métro blue line, STM buses 16, 80, 92, 93, 480
  • Montréal-Ouest: STM buses 51, 105, 123, 162
  • Vendôme: Métro orange line, STM buses 17, 37, 90, 102, 104, 105, 124
• Line 14 (Candiac)
  • Candiac: Exo buses 146, 147, 459, 650 and 651
  • Delson: Exo buses 152, 554, 650 and 651
  • St-Constant: Exo buses 153, 554, 650 and 651
  • Ste-Catherine: Exo buses 156, 157, 552, 554, 650 and 651
  • LaSalle: STM buses 110 and 495
  • Du Canal: STM buses 90, 191, 195, 491
  • Montréal-Ouest: STM buses 51, 105, 123, 162
  • Vendôme: Métro orange line, STM buses 17, 37, 90, 102, 104, 105, 124

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The Lucien-L’Allier train station is closed for renovations and will reopen this fall to trains from the Vaudreuil-Hudson line, if the work stoppage is over.

Transit fare exchange

People who have train-only fare tickets remaining will be able to exchange them for 10 “All Modes AB” or “All Modes ABC” tickets, allowing them to use the bus, métro or REM in those zones. For Aug. 22 and 23, monthly train-only tickets and passes will be accepted in Exo buses, at the Brossard REM station and Cartier and Côte-Vertu métro stations. As of Aug. 24, only monthly train-only passes will be accepted at these locations.

REM

The Réseau express métropolitain light-rail network is not affected by CN or CKPC work stoppages, the agency that runs it confirmed Tuesday. It uses its own independent rail line.

Via Rail

Most Via Rail intercity trains use CN railways, so service is unaffected. An exception is the train between Sudbury and White River in Ontario, which was shut down on Thursday.

Another is a one-kilometre section of CPKC tracks in Smiths Falls, Ont., used by Via’s Ottawa-Toronto train. But Via is still running trains on that section of track.

The following Via Rail trains are continuing to run normally:

• Montreal-Quebec City
• Montreal-Ottawa
• Montreal-Toronto
• Montreal-Halifax
• Montreal-Senneterre
• Montreal-Jonquière
• Ottawa-Toronto
• Toronto-Windsor
• Toronto-London
• Toronto-Sarnia
• Toronto-Niagara Falls
• Winnipeg-Churchill

Trains on the Toronto-Vancouver and Jasper—Prince George—Prince Rupert are affected by the wildfires in Jasper, and do not service in that town.

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