Two more years until better train service

BY RAFFY BOUDJIKANIAN

raffy.boudjikanian@transcontinental.ca

Though the AMT recently announced 160 new wagons for Montreal-area railways thanks to a contract with Bombardier, the first of those will not begin to alleviate the overcrowded Montreal/Deux Montagnes line that passes through the West Island for at least two years.

"We'll be getting the cars between the beginning of 2010 and the end of 2011," said Mélanie Nadeau, a spokesperson for the AMT. Some of those cars will be added to trains on the Deux Montagnes line, she added, but could not provide a number.

Meanwhile, some passengers of the Deux Montagnes line who board the train at rush hour weekdays complained about how it is constantly so overcrowded, people are often forced to stand shoulder to shoulder.

"People sometimes stand near the stairs at the door, where it's actually forbidden to stand, because they don't have a choice," said Marie-Catherine, a university student who hops on at Roxboro-Pierrefonds station weekdays at 7:30 a.m.

Chantal Schlippes, also a student, said she tries avoiding rush hour in her travels due to the overcrowding problem. "I take the 6 a.m. train if I have to be somewhere, if class starts at eight," she explained.

"We are aware of the problem. We know the Deux Montagnes line is very popular," Nadeau said.

That train line passes through the West Island at Roxboro-Pierrefonds and Sunnybrooke stations and has 25 departures a day. Though usual intervals vary from 30 minutes to one hour, weekdays from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. see a train pass by every 20 minutes. There is similarly frequent service from 4 to about 6 p.m. on the way back from Montreal during weekdays.

Though another line, Montreal/Dorion-Rigaud, has a total of nine stops in the West Island, it only sees 11 trains pass by a day, with trains every 20 minutes from around 7 to 9 a.m. toward Montreal and 5 to 6:20 p.m. westward.

"The Deux Montagnes line is probably more popular due to the more frequent service," Nadeau said. "We could maybe advertise the other line more, but I think most people are aware that it exists."

"Dorion-Rigaud is too far for me," Marie-Catherine said, "and it doesn't pass by as often."

About two months ago, she even found herself unable to help another woman after seeing her faint in the next wagon. "The first aid kit was maybe two metres away from me," she said, "but there were so many people that I couldn't even get to it."

Instead, she watched as passengers near the unconscious woman struggled to accommodate her. "They couldn't even lay her down anywhere because there was no room on the floor," Marie-Catherine said.

Not everybody had such bad experiences to relate, however.

"We're complaining a lot about problems with other people, but it's a lot worse in other countries," said Pierrefonds resident Pierre Fort, who just started a new job downtown last week.

"I haven't seen the heavy rush hour," he confessed, "but I've heard about it. But (the ride) is 25 minutes. What's the big deal?"