AMT COMMUTER - GO TRANSITAMT Agence Metropolitaine de TransportAMT News Editor Jean-Francois Turcotteamtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com
Montreal finally received its second snowstorm, with over 15 centimetres falling Feb. 29th-March 1st 2012. Here we see some snowy shots taken at Montreal West by Michael Berry. The first photo shows a deadhead movement crossing Elmhurst Street on its way downtown, led by AMT 301 (an ex-Amtrak F40PH). The second photo shows AMT 532 (an ex-GO Transit F59PH) pushing its train west over the Elmhurst Street crossing, on its way to Candiac on the South Shore. The last photo shows AMT 411 (another ex-Amtrak F40PH, nee GO Transit) covered in icicles and snow as it gets ready to push its train toward its terminus in Vaudreuil.
AMT to Improve the Vaudreuil-Hudson Line
AMT and Quebec’s Transport Minister will pony up to $20 million to fund various improvements on CP’s Vaudreuil and part of the M&O Subdivisions, starting this Spring. The Vaudreuil subdivision is used by AMT’s second most-popular line linking Montreal to Vaudreuil and Hudson, currently carrying 17000 riders per weekday. The project includes:
Adding powered crossovers and replacement of the automatic block system by a modern CTC between Dorval and Dorion, easing meets and overtakes on this busy stretch of double track.
Adding new Hotbox Detector setout tracks at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Improving the existing CTC between Dorval and Montreal West.
Installing switches for a new rail access into the Sortin Maintenance Center from the East, mainly for deadheading equipment to and from Lucien l’Allier station.
Other projects are already under way to increase the line’s capacity, including a new section of third main track between Pine Beach and Dorval.
Upon completion of all projects listed above, AMT intends adding up to three weekday roundtrips on the Vaudreuil – Hudson lines to mitigate the congestion expected from the major roadwork that will plague the Montreal area in the upcoming years (Dorval, Turcot, Champlain Bridge, etc.). In the long run, AMT hopes carrying on the Train de l’Ouest project, which would quadruple-track and electrify CP’s Vaudreuil’s subdivision between Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and Lucien l’Allier, with local and express trains running on a 12-minutes headway during peak and 30 minutes headway off-peak.
12 UNITS ON THE PROPERTY IN SERVICE: Nil AMT 1351 S AMT 1352 Removed from service following derailment. AMT 1353 In storage following testing. AMT 1354 In storage following testing. AMT 1355 In storage following testing. AMT 1356 Stored in Ste-Eustache since early January. S
S Stored in Ste- Eustache since early January..
AMT 1360 S
S
GO Transit News Edited by Daniel Dell’Unto
In late March it was announced CN would be selling GO Transit sections from its Oakville and Bala Subdivisions. It appears the two sections in question are from Canpa (Etobicoke) to Oakville on the Oakville Sub, and from the Union Station Rail Corridor in downtown Toronto to Doncaster diamond along the Bala Sub. CN has previously purchased part of the Oakville Sub from Union Station to Canpa, as well as other rail lines from CN (Weston Sub, Newmarket Sub, etc), in addition to paying for line expansions on primary freight routes (extra tracks on the CN Halton Sub and CP Galt Sub for increased GO service).
GO is planning to have one of their MP40PH-3C units repowered with the new Tier-4 compliant Cummins QSK95, for evaluation testing in 2012-2013. Up to 10 other units may also be repowered, with information on specific units yet to be determined.
As of mid-March, new Bombardier Bilevel coaches up to GO 2780 were delivered to GO Transit, with 2781 en-route in mid-March. There is no status on the new accessible coaches (2550-52) and cab cars (255-257) yet.
Construction continues on Toronto Union Station's glass atrium, which will replace a section in the middle of the Bush-style train shed built in the 1920/1930's. GO Transit is posting numerous photos and progress updates on their facebook page HERE.
On October 12th, 2008 Michael Da Costa took this terrific image at the Aldershot GO station in Burlington, ON. At that time, GO weekend service on the Lakeshore West, and Lakeshore East, consisted of double heading F59PH locomotives to keep up with the weekend schedule demands.
(By Daniel Dell’Unto)
Toronto Rocket set 5531-5535 was noted out testing in early March. Car 5546 was noted on delivery early March 2011, along with 5551-5553 a few days later. They are being trucked from Thunder Bay on a low loader flatbed (as per usual practice).
The remaining cars of the first set delivered to the TTC (5391-5396) are being shipped back to BBD Thunder Bay for modifications. Previously cab units 5391 and 5396 were shipped back leaving intermediate cars 5392-5395 at Wilson Yard, but those are being shipped back as well. The first set built, 5381-5386, still hasn't been delivered (it initially went to BBD's Millhaven ON facility for testing, and it's current status is unknown at this time).
In January, the TTC released a tender for constructing a rail spur line into its Hillcrest Shops complex. There was a spur in place for years previously, but it was used very infrequently and disconnected/removed. This will create a connection to CP's North Toronto Subdivison, and is likely how new streetcar/LRT vehicles will be delivered in the future (but not subways, as there are no subway car servicing facilities on site nor are there connections to the subway system from Hillcrest).
© CRO April 2012 |
