|
GO news editor Daniel Dell’Unto: AMT news editor Jean-Francois Turcotte: amtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com GOAdrian Badaraco caught rebuilt GO F59PH units 559 and 558 in service together on a morning westbound train at Rouge Hill station May 12th. They have been out in service since March, but photos of them are hard to come by as most GO trains are now run with MP40PH-3C units. It is expected units 558-564 will be kept and rebuilt, which includes receiving new engine power assemblies and a complete repainting. Units 558, 559, 561 and 562 have been noted as overhauled so far.
Metrolinx which operates GO Transit, has purchased part of the CN Kingston Subdivision double and triple tracked corridor between downtown Toronto and Pickering, Ontario for $299-million. GO bilevel 2760 was noted on a CP fright train from Thunder Bay on its way to GO transit in late May. The current car order is expected to go up to 2768 and include a cab car: 254. GO VIGNETTE: The good ‘ol days! CN MLW’s meet a GO F-unit: http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=4803 Adrian Badaraco was lucky enough to catch one of the new Bombardier Toronto Rocket subway trains testing on the Yonge line on May 4th 2011. The 6-car semi-permanently coupled set was not in service, but doing testing and familiarization runs. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) reports the first of the new trains are supposed to enter revenue service in June 2011.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apta_2050/5688869533
AMT - Agence Metropolitaine de TransportMT news editor Jean-Francois Turcotte:amtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com From the cab of his CN locomotive, Patrick De Larue caught AMT P89021-23 (Dead-head move) on June 23, 2008 on the east end of Victoria Bridge at (St-Lambert) Longueuil, QC. AMT P89022-11 was shot July 11, 2007 and shows an extra AMT DH move from Montréal back to St-Hilaire, QC.
Bombardier-built ALP45DP dual mode locomotives for AMT (AMT 1350) arrived at the Port in Newark, New Jersey May 24th. AMT-Montreal has hitched a tag-on order with New Jersey Transit. NJT 4501 was sent to TTCI oin Pueblo, Colorado last month. AMT 1350 should be in Montreal by June 1st. The AMT locomotives weight 260,000 lbs each. The engine sits on a multi axle float to support the weight during the crossing of the ocean, and they sit the engine on a crib inside the ship tied it down . On arrival in Newark ,they roll the float under the crib and raise the engine and roll out of the vessel to the trackage in the yard. It took three cranes to lift and place it on the track. (Thanks to Daniel Luduc)
AMT presently has a surplus of passenger cars and has temporarily stored the Bombardier 2000-series cars. With the Mascouche line and other service improvements planned this year, the 2000-series cars will return to service, but AMT may wish to fit these cars with automated announcement, next station displays and wireless internet. The twenty-four 700-series cars are also earmarked for rebuild and will be returned to service afterwards. http://www.amt.qc.ca/corpo/Appro/appel/appels_fiche.asp?fiche=AMT2011-P38 (French) Warren Mayhew clicked Bombardier Cab Car AMT 3024 and two former GO Transit F59PH’s (AMT 530 and RBRX 18523) in service on AMT at Ile Perot, Quebec in May 2011.
AMT 2020 Strategic Plan Released
AMT’s 2020 Strategic Development Plan was released on March 28th 2011. The plan which depicts the course of action AMT wishes to undertake over the next decade. http://plan2020.amt.qc.ca/Home
The Commuter Rail share of the plan focuses on consolidating and improving existing services over expanding the network’s reach. The measures cited in the plan include: · Acquiring right-of-way and/or rail lines from CN/CP (where applicable); · Adding second main tracks to expand frequencies and add reverse-peak service; · Introducing express service on some lines; · Complete renewal of the car and locomotive fleet; · Expanding the use of electric traction to reduce the ecological footprint and operating costs.
More specific projects include: · Completing the Train de l’Est (Montreal – Mascouche) line; · Fulfilling the Train de l’Ouest (Montreal – Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue) project; · Diverting the St-Jerome line to Central station via a new underground link; · Adding an underground station at Edouard-Montpetit, serving University of Montreal’s main campus and linking with the Metro blue line; · Build commuter train maintenance centers at Sortin and Pointe St-Charles;
However, planned expansions to L’Assomption, Boisbriand, Marieville, Beauharnois, La Prairie and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu are no longer considered. Such focus on improving existing service may spar some anger in communities along the planned lines, who were hoping the train lines would boost their growth. Shelving plan for commuter rail expansion may also endanger some currently dormant or abandoned right-of-way (Beauharnois – Adirondack Jct, a former Conrail/New York Central line and Castle Gardens – Marieville, a former CN/Montreal & Southern Counties line). It is likely that the right-of-way will no longer be available when AMT is poised to resume its growth in the future, having been sold piecemeal. Societe de Transport de Montreal’s Metro is also expected to expand in the next decade. Among planned expansions: · A 2-phases extension of the blue line from St-Michel to boul. Lacordaire, then to Anjou; · An extension of the yellow line in Longueuil to boul. Rolland-Therrien; · Extending the orange line to a full circle from Cote-Vertu to Montmorency through Bois-Franc and Chomedey, with an antenna also serving Laval’s “downtown” near Carrefour Laval. And let’s not forget a 468-cars order for new MPM-10 from Bombardier-Alstom, stated to replace 336 Vickers-built MR63 cars built in 1963-1966 and expand service. The 468 cars will be split into Fity-two 9-cars “Boa” trains, enabling riders to walk the entire length of the train.
A subsequent order will next replace 423 bombardier-built MR73 cars dating from 1973-1976. STM expects the MPM-10 fleet to eventually reach 1053 units (forming no less than 117 trains). Source: AMT, STM
St-Jerome line track work starting:
Nearly two long years of wait after initial announcement, work has finally started at last on CP’s Parc subdivision (hosting AMT’s St-Jerome line), aiming to restore 3 miles of second main track (removed in 1984) between CTC control point Maurice-Richard (St-Martin Jct) and the Ste-Rose station. Restoring the second main track is part of a larger plan aiming to double capacity on the St-Jerome line. On May 16th,
AMT issued a notice detailing the project: · Adding a second platform at Vimont station; · Adding CTC from Outremont (Jct with Adirondack subdivision) and St-Antoine. Two short stretches of CTC have already been installed near St-Martin Jct and near the end-of-line at St-Jerome; · Adding 3 new passenger train length passing sidings at Ste-Therese, Blainville and Mirabel; · Adding universal crossovers at Bois-de-Boulogne and St-Elzear; · Expand the fleet from 4 to 6 trainsets, adding 3 peak-time round trips; · Although not specifically stated, the unique gauntlet track on the Bordeaux bridge, while useful for a double-track line signalled with ABS, may eventually be replaced by a conventional single track with powered switches at each end, in effect acting as a universal crossover. Get your pictures of this unique track layout while you can! The project is expected to wrap-up in 2012, at a cost of 35M$. MONTREAL VIGNETTE Bill McBride clicked (Montreal Urban Community Transport Commission) STCUM FP7A 1306 (ex-CP 1433/4040) is seen at Vaudreuil, PQ in May 1988 with the Hawker Siddely 1970’s-built (ex-CP) bi-level gallery cars behind. With the F-unit fleet in this road weary paint scheme the Montreal transit system changed their railway division from STCUM to AMT in 1990 and repainted most of the F-unit fleet into the new silver and two-tone blue paint scheme
© CRO June 2011 |
