REM has “killed Mascouche train”
The Mascouche train runs nearly empty now. The train hasn’t been able to use the Mount Royal tunnel since 2020 and has to take a long detour that can add as much as an hour to the trip. This has deterred most potential riders.
Taylor 23:31 on 2023-11-08 Permalink
Literally everyone said this was going to happen.
Kate 23:36 on 2023-11-08 Permalink
The Mascouche line only opened in 2014, and – as I recall – cost a lot of money.
Nicholas 02:56 on 2023-11-09 Permalink
The line cost a lot because they built a brand new section from Repentigny to Terrebonne, a huge detour, so they could win more votes in that seat. Even with the old, faster route it was only slightly shorter to take the 186/486 from PAT to Honoré Beaugrand (or other buses from Terrebonne) and then the green line, or get off at Sauvé and take the orange line. Even with the REM fully in place, people could just as easily take the orange line. A train with a few trips a day, no through running and a large detour will never be a success, and many people said this at the time.
Blork 08:37 on 2023-11-09 Permalink
If the choice was between taking one train with comfortable seats and taking a bus and then an overcrowded Metro then you’d think the first option would win for most people.
MarcG 09:33 on 2023-11-09 Permalink
If you use the Exo’s own website to propose a route from Mascouche to Bonaventure using the train, it suggests getting off at Sauve and finishing on the orange line. I can’t think of anyone who has an extra hour to burn in the morning to go around the mountain, maybe a few people who can do their work on the train. For most people the choice is Train->Metro vs. Bus->Metro and the fact that Exo themselves barely suggest the train you know the schedule is trash.
dhomas 10:46 on 2023-11-10 Permalink
My brother-in-law bought a house close to the RDP train station in 2013. One of the main selling points was the proximity to the then-upcoming train station. When it opened, he and his wife were really happy with the service. It was a straight shot from RDP to Bonaventure (where my brother-in-law worked) and it took about 35 minutes. The only complaint was that there wasn’t enough frequency; if they missed a departure, they needed to wait about an hour to get back home.
It’s really sad that anything East of the end of the Green Line metro still has pretty terrible transit options. The bus options mentioned by Nicholas are in place, but are strongly impacted by the construction on the 25. I live close to Radisson metro and my kids go to school in RDP. I tried to bring my kids to school by bus, but the return trip is extremely slow on the 448/449. The 186/486 are also impacted because of the added traffic on Sherbrooke from drivers avoiding the 25. The Mascoushe train could have been great, if they had just increased the frequency.
Orr 18:01 on 2023-11-11 Permalink
For fun I’m trying the EXO trip planner for a train trip to masscouche or terrebonne and it is insisting I take a bus. And I have selected only “trains” in the planner.