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Regional public transit system in Montreal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Exo, stylized as exo and officially known as Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM; English: Metropolitan Transportation Network), is a public transport system in Greater Montreal, including the Island of Montreal, Laval (Île Jésus), and communities along both the North Shore of the Mille-Îles River and the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River. It was created on June 1, 2017, taking over Montreal's commuter rail services from the former Agence métropolitaine de transport as well as bus and paratransit services from the various suburban municipal and intermunicipal transit agencies.[3] Exo operates the second busiest such system in Canada after Toronto's GO Transit.[citation needed]
 | It has been suggested that Early History, Commuter rail and Rolling stock sections be split out into another article titled Exo rail services. (Discuss) (October 2024) |
| Exo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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An outbound train on the Mont-Saint-Hilaire Line | |||
Exo train network symbol Exo bus network symbol | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Greater Montreal | ||
| Transit type | |||
| Number of lines |
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| Number of stations |
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| Annual ridership |
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| Chief executive | Sylvain Yelle | ||
| Headquarters | 700 rue de la Gauchetière, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Website | exo | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation |
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| Operator(s) | Alstom | ||
| Reporting marks | EXO | ||
| Infrastructure manager(s) |
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| Number of vehicles |
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Exo's territory is concurrent with Montreal Metropolitan Community limits, with the addition of the Kahnawake First Nations reserve and the city of Saint-Jérôme.[4] It serves a population of approximately 4 million people who make more than 174,000 trips daily in the 4,258.97 km2 (1,644.40 sq mi) area radiating from Montreal.[5][1]
Exo's parent agency, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), is charged with transportation planning for the Greater Montreal area.
Exo operates commuter train service as well as the bus service outside of the three main population centres of Greater Montreal. In these areas service is provided by the Société de Transport de Montréal on the Island of Montreal, the Société de Transport de Laval in Laval, and the Réseau de transport de Longueuil for the urban agglomeration of Longueuil.
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
Exo's commuter trains are its highest-profile division. It uses diesel-electric push-pull trains. The Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Mascouche lines run on Canadian National trackage and operate out of Central Station, while the Vaudreuil-Hudson, Saint-Jérôme, and Candiac lines run on Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) trackage and operate out of Lucien L'Allier terminus, beside the historic Windsor Station. The Saint-Jérôme line also runs on CPKC trackage and on Exo's own trackage between Sainte-Thérèse and Saint-Jérôme.
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 Bombardier Transportation beginning July 1, 2017, on an 8-year contract.[6]
The train lines are integrated with the bus and Metro network maintained by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
| Train lines | Line length | Start | Terminus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vaudreuil–Hudson |
51.2 km (31.8 mi) | 1887 | Hudson | Lucien-L'Allier |
 Saint-Jérôme |
62.8 km (39.0 mi) | 1882 | Saint-Jérôme | Lucien-L'Allier |
 Mont-Saint-Hilaire |
34.9 km (21.7 mi) | 1859 | Mont-Saint-Hilaire | Gare Centrale |
 Candiac |
25.6 km (15.9 mi) | 1887 | Candiac | Lucien-L'Allier |
 Mascouche |
52 km (32 mi) | 2014 | Mascouche | Gare Centrale |
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
As of July 1, 2022, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) which is responsible for the distribution of fares in the Greater Montreal area has designated 4 zones on its territory A, B, C and D. The Island of Montreal is under zone A. Laval and Longueuil are part of zone B. The northern and southern suburbs of Montreal (off-island) are part of zone C. Zone D is territory not under the authority of the ARTM but it is still responsible for the distribution of fares there as well. [7]
If a trip starts and ends on the island of Montreal, an all modes zone A fare is required. This includes all modes of public transit (i.e. bus, Metro, REM or Exo). If a trip leaves zone A (Montreal) then a fare for the corresponding zone is required. For example, a trip between Montreal and Laval will require an all modes AB fare. Fares are valid for 120 minutes after the first validation. There are no fare gates; instead, a proof-of-payment system is used, where fare inspectors randomly check tickets
All fares are available in a cheaper "reduced" category for children 6 to 17 years old, and seniors that are 65 or older. Additionally, monthly passes are available in a "student" category (which is cheaper than the regular fare but more than the reduced fare) for students 18 to 25 years old. To benefit from the reduced or student fares, the passenger must have a reduced-fare Opus card with their name and photo on it. Travel on the commuter trains is free for anyone 5 and under as well as a maximum of 5 children 6 to 11 years old per person 14 and up traveling with them.
Following the introduction of the Opus, smart card system tickets and passes are now sold by automated vending machines at each station. The machines accept cash, credit and debit cards. Purchases of more than $80 must be paid by cards. Tickets and passes are also sold at a few stores near the suburban stations. Consult the full list on the RTM's website.[8][9] Passes are valid for a calendar month, and are normally on sale from the 20th of the previous month to the 5th of their month of validity. Passengers can also subscribe to OPUS+ which automatically debits the passenger's bank account or credit card and adds the pass to the passenger's Opus card.
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]
| Maker | Model | Number in service | Numbered | Year built | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Motive Diesel | F59PHI | 11 | 1320–1330 | 2000 | Used on the Vaudreuil-Hudson, Saint-Jérôme, and Candiac lines. |
| F59PH | 10 | 1340–1349 | 1990 | Acquired from GO Transit. Used on the Vaudreuil-Hudson, Saint Jérôme, Candiac, Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Mascouche lines. (All diesel routes) | |
| Bombardier | ALP-45DP | 20 | 1350–1369 | 2011 | Used on the Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Vaudreuil-Hudson, Mascouche and Saint-Jérôme lines.[10] |
On January 28, 2022, Exo announced that it had ordered 10 Siemens Charger locomotives to replace the older F59PH locomotives in their fleet.[11]
| Maker | Model | Number in class | Numbered | Year built | Service years | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Motive Diesel | F40PH | 16 | 223, 243, 270-271, 274, 293, 297, 301-302, 310, 319, 330, 372, 400, 411, 418 | 1977-1985 | 2000s-2010s | Ex-Amtrak. All sold off to various leasing firms, tourist railroads, or other commuter railroads. |
| F40PH-2CAT | 2 | 4117-4118[12] | 1981 | 2008-2012 | Leased from NJ Transit until the arrival of the ALP-45DP locomotives.[13] | |
| GP40FH-2 | 5 | 4135, 4137, 4140, 4143, 4144[13][14] | 1966-1967 | |||
| F59PH[a] | 3 | 526, 530, 532 | 1988 | 2010s | Ex-GO Transit; leased from Rail World.[13] | |
| 3 | 18523, 18524, 18531 | Ex-GO Transit; leased from Rosen-Beaudin Leasing.[13] Distinct from the 1340 series locomotives still in service. | ||||
| FP7 | 6 | 1300-1305 | 1952 | 1982-2001[13] | Ex-CP 4070-4075, 4040. Replaced by the F59PHI locomotives in 2001.[13] 1301 now on the DGVR as "WM 243".[15][16] 1306 to the Stourbridge Line as "PRR 9880".[15] | |
| 1306 | 1951 | |||||
| GP9RM[13] | 4 | 1310-1313 | 1959 | 1990-2010s | Ex-Canadian National, rebuilt by CN in 1990.[15] 1311 preserved at Exporail. |
| Maker | Model | Number in service | Numbered | Year built | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Transportation | Bombardier BiLevel Coach | 22 | 2000-2003[13] | 2004 | Control cars. Low platform only |
| 2020-2037[13] | 2005 | Low platform only | |||
| Bombardier MultiLevel Coach | 160 | 3000 series | 2009-2011 | [17] High and low platform compatibility. Required for service on Mascouche and Mont St-Hilaire line | |
| CRRC Tangshan | Bi-level coaches | 6 | 2050 series | 2022- | Started service June 2024[18] Low platform only |
| Maker | Model | Number ordered | Numbered | Year ordered | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRRC Tangshan | Bi-level coaches | 24 | TBD | June 2017 | [19] |
| 20 | April 2019[20] | ||||
| Bombardier Transportation | Bombardier BiLevel Coach | 22 | 2000 series | March 2018[21] | Similar to the 2000 series coaches built in 2004 |
| Maker | Model | Number built | Numbered | Year built | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Transportation | Single-level coaches | 24 | 701-708, 720-735[13] | 1989 | Renovated 2011-2013. Retired in 2022 following the delivery of new coaches. |
| Hawker Siddeley | RTC-85SP/D coaches | 80 | 102-111, 200-204, 1036-1103, 1201-1258[13] | 1967-1976 | Ex-GO Transit. Retired after the arrival of the Bombardier MultiLevel Coaches. Car 104 on display at the Toronto Railway Museum in GO Transit colours.[22][23][24] |
| Canadian Vickers | Gallery Car | 9 | 900-901, 920-926[13] | 1969 | Ex-Canadian Pacific Railway. Retired in 2010. |
| Morrison–Knudsen | Single-level coaches | 14 | 5156-5234[13] | 1987-1988 | Leased from NJ Transit in the late-2000s and early 2010s.[13] |
| Maker | Model | Number built | Numbered | Year built | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Car and Foundry | Head-end power cars | 7 | 600-606 | 1958 | Former boxcars rebuilt into head-end power cars by the Canadian National Railway in 1989, for use alongside the GP9RMs.[13] |
| Bombardier Transportation | MR-90 | 58 | 400 series | 1994-1995 | Electric multiple units used only on the Deux-Montagnes line. Retired in 2020 when the Deux-Montagnes line was closed for conversion to the Réseau express métropolitain. |
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.
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.[25]
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.[25]
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 117 Dufresne 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.[25]
In 2000, the AMT inaugurated its service to McMasterville,[26] and later extended it to Mont-Saint-Hilaire in September 2002.[25]
In 2001, the AMT initiated a pilot project, launching service on a fifth line to Delson.[27] This was later extended to Candiac in 2005.[28]
A new Train de l'Est line to Mascouche was announced by the Quebec government in March 2006.[29] After delays and cost overruns,[30] it started service in December 2014.[31]
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.[32]
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.[33] In May 2018, the RTM adopted the Exo brand (stylized exo, all-lowercase), to represent the sub- and exurban nature of its service area.[34]
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".[35] 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.[36]
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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.[37] On December 31, 2020, the Deux-Montagnes line was closed permanently for conversion to the REM.[38]
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.[39]
Exo runs multiple bus lines through its subsidiaries serving Montréal suburbs.
Exo operates all commuter bus services for the North Shore and South Shore suburbs, excepting the cities of Longueuil and Laval, which have their own transit agencies.
In 2018, Exo carried 174,710 passengers on a typical weekday — 77,210 on the trains and 97,500 by commuter bus, including adapted transport.
| Rail lines | ||
| Vaudreuil–Hudson line |
2,263,792 | |
| Saint-Jérôme line |
2,085,468 | |
| Mont-Saint-Hilaire line |
780,760 | |
| Candiac line |
677,144 | |
| Mascouche line |
340,861 | |
| Subtotal — Rail lines | 6,147,995 | |
| Bus routes | ||
| Exo North Shore buses | 8,217,932 | |
| Exo South Shore buses | 6,737,806 | |
| Exo Paratransit | 652,719 | |
| Transit on demand | 69,164 | |
| Subtotal — Bus system | 15,677,621 | |
| Total — Exo System | 21,825,616 | |
|---|---|---|
To increase service on the Vaudreuil-Hudson Line, there are plans to add dedicated tracks for commuter trains. The current tracks are used by Exo under permission from Canadian Pacific Kansas City. On July 1, 2010, service to Rigaud was discontinued, due to Rigaud's reluctance to pay annual fees; the rail line now ends at Hudson.[40]
The possibility of extending the Candiac Line to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Philippe was examined by the Quebec Government in 2014. In 2016, the study's final report rejected that option, citing longer travel times by train for people in the area.
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