Electric train project chugging along

Overloaded rush-hour trains with no room to sit are a familiar sight to West Island-based users of public transit, but an AMT announcement last week has revealed some of these problems might be history in four more years. "Faced with growing ridership on the commuter trains, the constant rise in demand, our development projects and our dependency on petroleum, we clearly had to renew our locomotives and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," said company president Joël Gauthier.

With financial help from the Quebec Ministry of Transport, the AMT signed a $236.3 million contract with Bombardier for the construction of 20 bi-mode locomotives, which can run both on diesel fuel and electricity

The announcement comes on top of another in December 2007 that more passenger cars have been ordered for the island's train lines. "The AMT cannot say for now how many cars or locomotives will be deployed per line," said communications and marketing vice-president Marie Gendron. "The East Train (a project unveiled in late 2006 serving the east and north-east of the island) will of course be a priority, with five locomotives and 20 cars, and the rest will be deployed according to the age of the material already rolling into place," she added.

Gendron said the Deux-Montagnes line, which runs through the West Island, will not be getting any of the bi-mode locomotives since the "Deux-Montagnes line is already 100 per cent electrified."

She made no mention of the Vaudreuil-Dorion line, which also crosses the West Island.

The announcement was welcomed by the usually critical Transport 2000 lobby group. "It's great news," said local spokesperson Normand Parisien, adding two important heads of the group were even present at the conference. "It took a few years," he said, but generally the group was happy AMT was moving toward more environmentally friendly modes of transport. "We're in a hurry for this (electric transport), we need it," he added.

Parisien said this should mark the beginning of a complete electrification of the rail network.

Gendron confirmed the AMT is looking into the possibility of completely electrifying railways. "A study will be launched later this fall in order to have a better idea of the implied costs," she said.

The AMT said the new locomotives should improve service in a number of ways, including an extension of departure times, and better maintenance due to newer equipment.

The Quebec government financed 75 per cent of the Bombardier contract, with the rest coming from the AMT. <@Cp>courtesy photo<@$p>