Operation of all commuter rail was provided by contract to CN and CP (on their respective rail networks) until June 30, 2017. Operations were taken over by Alstom (then Bombardier Transportation) beginning July 1, 2017, on an 8-year contract.[5]
Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) had long operated commuter trains in the Montreal area, but by the 1980s, their services had dwindled to one route each. The Commission de transport de la communauté de Montréal (CTCUM, predecessor of the STM), which already managed Metro and bus services across the Island of Montreal, assumed management of CN's Deux-Montagnes commuter service and CP's Rigaud service in 1982 as the two railways began scaling back their services.[7]
In 1997, management and financing of both lines was transferred to the newly created Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), which had been established to distribute funding and coordinate transportation planning among the numerous transit operators throughout the Greater Montreal Region.[7]
Later that year, the AMT inaugurated service between Blainville and Jean-Talon (now Parc) train station in Montreal's Park Extension district. Originally, the service was designed to provide a temporary alternative for motorists from Laval and the North Shore of Montreal, while the Highway 117Dufresne Bridge was being repaired. The service proved to be so popular that the AMT continued to fund it, and even extended a number of trains to the Lucien-L'Allier station downtown in 1999, and continues to provide off-peak daytime weekday service on this line. The service was extended further north to Saint-Jérôme in January 2007.[7]
In 2001, the AMT initiated a pilot project, launching service on a fifth line to Delson.[9] This was later extended to Candiac in 2005.[10]
A new Train de l'Est (East Train) line to Mascouche was announced by the Quebec government in March 2006.[11] After delays and cost overruns,[12] it started service in December 2014.[13]
In 2014, the AMT acquired the entire Deux-Montagnes line from CN, including the right of way, infrastructure, trackage, other railway equipment, grounds, curb lanes, rights in the Mount Royal tunnel and air rights, in a $97 million transaction.[14]
Creation of Exo
On June 1, 2017, the AMT was disbanded in a reorganization of metropolitan transit authorities. A new agency, the Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM) was created to be responsible for operating commuter rail and suburban transit services.[15] In May 2018, the RTM adopted the Exo brand (stylized exo, all-lowercase), to represent the sub- and exurban nature of its service area.[16]
In 2019, Exo proceeded to rebrand all of its lines with numbers in the format "exo1", "exo2", etc. When the ARTM launched its new metropolitan signage in 2023, Exo renumbered the lines again starting at "11".[17] It also adopted a new logo for train service in a distinctive colour to differentiate from other rapid transit services, rolling out progressively on signage since 2020.[18]
The construction of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) led initially to the closure of the Mount Royal Tunnel in May 2020, causing the Deux-Montagnes lines to terminate at Bois-Franc station, and the Mascouche line was rerouted around the Western end of Montreal in order to reach Central Station from the south.[19] On December 31, 2020, the Deux-Montagnes line was closed permanently for conversion to the REM.[20]
In May 2023, Exo announced that Lucien-L'Allier terminal would be closed starting April 2024 to rebuild the platforms and add a canopy. Trains on the Candiac, Vaudreuil-Hudson and Saint-Jérôme lines would terminate at Vendôme.[21]
As of 2024, the fare schedule still includes TRAIN fares applying the old AMT fare zones that are valid only on commuter rail lines.[23]
There are no fare gates at train stations. Instead, a proof-of-payment system is used, where riders are expected to validate their ticket on the platform. Fare inspectors randomly check tickets.[24] Tickets and passes are now sold by automated vending machines at stations, either onto an Opus card or a cardboard Occassionel card.[25]
Financing for the rail network's operations (including maintenance, rolling stock, equipment and salaries) is handled by Exo, which is funded primarily by the Agence régionale du transport métropolitain.
Rolling stock
Exo has a variety of rolling stock, some of it acquired from GO Transit, the rest built specifically for it. There are a total of 256 cars and locomotives in the fleet.[citation needed]
The 22 bilevel coaches are in operation on the Saint-Jérôme line. The AMT did not purchase additional bilevels as it sought to standardize its train fleet with the arrival of the multi-level coaches. However, 20 additional bilevels were purchased by the RTM in March 2018.
On December 18, 2007, the AMT awarded Bombardier a $386-million contract to build 160 multi-level commuter cars. These cars are based on NJ Transit's Multilevel series, and are able to enter the Mount Royal Tunnel, unlike the older GO-style BiLevel cars. They are numbered in the 3000s.
↑ "Candiac-Montréal en train"[Candiac-Montreal by train](PDF) (in French). La Presse. 16 November 2004. p.A7. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
↑ Shields, Alexandre (18 March 2006). "Le train de l'est sur les rails"[The Train de l'est is on track] (in French). Le Devoir. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
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Logo used by the CTCUM and STCUM until 1997
Logo used by the AMT from 1997 until 2020
Logo used by Exo as of 2020, part of the ARTM's uniform metropolitan signage
