For many commuter train users, getting into town on Monday morning was frustrating, to say the least.
Some commuters faced delays of up to 45 minutes getting into town on the Deux-Montagnes line on one of the coldest mornings of the year.
And that was just the latest in a string of delays that have plagued the train network since the start of the new year.
On Monday morning, a switch had problems at the downtown Lucien L'Allier station, causing delays on three lines, and forcing the cancellation of several departures from Montreal.
Several commuters at the Sunnybrooke station on the Deux-Montagnes line say when trains did arrive, they were so full that passengers were unable to board.
Still other commuters told CTV Montreal the RTM, the Researu de Transport Métropolitain, hasn't been very forthcoming with explanations as to why trains have been running late.
On Monday afternoon, the RTM's executive director of operations, Stéphane Lapierre, issued a statement apologizing for the repeated delays, blaming many of them on the frigid weather and snow accumulation.
"It has been a trying start to the year for our commuter train network, mainly because of the extreme weather conditions we are currently experiencing," Lapierre says. "We are well aware that this situation has had impacts on your daily routine and be assured that we are doing everything we can to improve matters."
He goes on to say the RTM is putting extra crews on duty to deal with tracks and switches.
Dear Commuter Train Users,
It has been a trying start to the year for our commuter train network, mainly because of the extreme weather conditions we are currently experiencing. We are well aware that this situation has had impacts on your daily routine and be assured that we are doing everything we can to improve matters.
There are a number of reasons for the various delays and cancellations that have occurred since the start of the year.
First, the wide swings in temperatures and the onslaught of strong gusting winds, cold, and substantial accumulations of snow have had a major impact on operations, causing a series of problems on our rolling stock and infrastructures. Corrective measures and improvements are being put in place to prevent recurrence of these problems.
Our crews and service partners, working day and night, have stepped up their efforts, remaining firmly focused on ensuring that our winter action plan is executed correctly. We are also assigning additional crews on the ground, conducting extra tests and maintenance measures on our rolling stock, and fine-tuning our plan regularly.
The wide swings in temperatures have severely tested the RTMs’ railway infrastructures and those maintained by their owners, CN and CP. Many switches, despite being automatically heated, have frozen on account of the strong winds that have constantly re-covered tracks and switches with snow. Although switches are regularly cleared of snow, train crews have still had to operate them manually, a procedure that can take up to 20 minutes. Snow accumulations and temperature swings have also caused failures in railway signalling systems. These situations have caused delays on several lines, leading to train congestion and cancellations. It is important to specify that it is the entire rail system, both passenger and freight transport, which has been affected by these extreme weather conditions.
Lastly, a variety of other problems beyond our control can hinder the smooth running of operations, chief among them: the impact of vehicles on railway overpasses, broken level crossing barriers, and the passage of freight trains, to name but a few.
Please be assured that we are making every effort to improve the situation. It is our sincere aim to make daily travel fast, reliable and pleasant for all our customers.
To be kept up to date of the service status, we recommend you to follow the accounts of the RTMs’ train lines on Twitter, to download the Chrono application and to refer to Info-Perturbation.
We thank you for your patience and your understanding.
Stéphane Lapierre
Executive Director – Operations