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GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

I'd definitely want to include both, but yeah, I tend to think that the connection to Dupont would need to be strongly emphasized to make Midtown work well. I'm also inclined to think that Jane should be treated as a significant hub for surface transit connections.
 
Meanwhile, as we are having this debate about catenary or no catenery...

The REM in Montreal has recently completed catenery installations in the Southshore branch, in time for rollingstock testing in November (2 Alstom Metropolis trains just arrived in Montreal from India yesterday).
1603380708771.png


1603381094539.png

Source:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1318964899209424898

1603381011996.png

Source: https://rem.info/en/news/launching-gantries
 
SFO-YYZ said:
Meanwhile, as we are having this debate about catenary or no catenery...

The REM in Montreal has recently completed catenery installations in the Southshore branch, in time for rollingstock testing in November (2 Alstom Metropolis trains just arrived in Montreal from India yesterday).
View attachment 278356

View attachment 278358
Source:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1318964899209424898

View attachment 278357
Source: https://rem.info/en/news/launching-gantries
Click to expand...
I guess they’re done from Brossard to Panama? Would be so cool to see these on thebridge...
 
SFO-YYZ said:
Meanwhile, as we are having this debate about catenary or no catenery...

The REM in Montreal has recently completed catenery installations in the Southshore branch, in time for rollingstock testing in November (2 Alstom Metropolis trains just arrived in Montreal from India yesterday).
View attachment 278356

View attachment 278358
Source:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1318964899209424898

View attachment 278357
Source: https://rem.info/en/news/launching-gantries
Click to expand...

My jealousy is immense. Ontario is hopelessly broken
 
begratto said:
There has not been any corruption scandal associated to the construction of the REM. This isn't the 1970's, geez.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that corruption is a 1970's thing. When I moved to Montreal in 2014 there hadn't been a democratic transition of mayor in a few years since the previous two had both been arrested for corruption.

There are some shady things with the REM, nothing as overt as the WE Charity Scandal, but still sus. Mostly the result of having a pension fund plan a transit line instead of a government agency. Like how the CDPQ is developing on land that they bought on the West Island two years before the REM was announced, on the leg that doesn't have a solid ridership justification. Or how they are adding a superfluous station where they just happen to have property holdings. Or how the Liberal cabinet minister responsible for ramming the REM through has been hired by the CDPQ.

But this kind of synergy between development and transit at least has good ridership outcomes, compared to the political overbuilding low ridership lines to swing ridings.
 
aquateam said:
I wouldn't say that corruption is a 1970's thing. When I moved to Montreal in 2014 there hadn't been a democratic transition of mayor in a few years since the previous two had both been arrested for corruption.

There are some shady things with the REM, nothing as overt as the WE Charity Scandal, but still sus. Mostly the result of having a pension fund plan a transit line instead of a government agency. Like how the CDPQ is developing on land that they bought on the West Island two years before the REM was announced, on the leg that doesn't have a solid ridership justification. Or how they are adding a superfluous station where they just happen to have property holdings. Or how the Liberal cabinet minister responsible for ramming the REM through has been hired by the CDPQ.

But this kind of synergy between development and transit at least has good ridership outcomes, compared to the political overbuilding low ridership lines to swing ridings.
Click to expand...


None of what you said about the property ownership is suspicious. The CDPQ is using 3 billion of its own money to construct the REM. It is only fair that they expect an ROI. The money they make goes to people's pensions after all.

The minister thing and giving the CDPQ the Mount Royale tunnel for free on the other hand. 😅
 
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aquateam said:
I wouldn't say that corruption is a 1970's thing. When I moved to Montreal in 2014 there hadn't been a democratic transition of mayor in a few years since the previous two had both been arrested for corruption.

There are some shady things with the REM, nothing as overt as the WE Charity Scandal, but still sus. Mostly the result of having a pension fund plan a transit line instead of a government agency. Like how the CDPQ is developing on land that they bought on the West Island two years before the REM was announced, on the leg that doesn't have a solid ridership justification. Or how they are adding a superfluous station where they just happen to have property holdings. Or how the Liberal cabinet minister responsible for ramming the REM through has been hired by the CDPQ.

But this kind of synergy between development and transit at least has good ridership outcomes, compared to the political overbuilding low ridership lines to swing ridings.
Click to expand...

I agree that most of what you mentioned have been widely covered in the francophone media in Quebec, ever since the announcement of REM in April 2016. And that the CDPQ Infra doesn't have the most transparent governance structure in place compared to traditional municipal transit agencies like ARTM, STM, Metrolinx, etc. And that there may still be chronic corruption/irregularities in Montreal's municipal infrastructure procurement process.

On the other hand, one could argue that because of REM's unique funding and arms-length governance structure, it has managed to avoid the chronic delays, repeated studies, and over-engineering of transit systems seen in other transit projects in Ontario and Quebec (which I believe was the original intention why an agency like Metrolinx was created as well). Hence the reason why the Quebec government has already given CDQP Infra expanded mandate to start working on Phase 2 REM expansions in the Longueuil, Laval, and other suburban municipalities outside of Montreal (e.g. Longueuil's tramway project now officially falls under CDQPi's jurisdiction, which will likely see it become a new branch of the existing REM system).

At the end of the day, I feel like what matters to vast majority of people (folks not following transit forums...) is the speed which new transit infrastructure gets built. And CDQPi has proven to be very adept at managing this aspect of their projects, making sure that their progress is highly visible to the general public.
 
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SFO-YYZ said:
I agree that most of what you mentioned have been widely covered in the francophone media in Quebec, ever since the announcement of REM in April 2016. And that the CDPQi doesn't have the most transparent governance structure in place compared to traditional municipal transit agencies like ARTM, STM, Metrolinx, etc. And that there may still be chronic corruption/irregularities in Montreal's municipal infrastructure procurement process.

On the other hand, one could argue that because of REM's unique funding and arms-length governance structure, it has managed to avoid the chronic delays, repeated studies, and over-engineering of transit systems seen in other transit projects in Ontario and Quebec (which I believe was the original intention why an agency like Metrolinx was created as well). Hence the reason why the Quebec government has already given CDQPi expanded mandate to start working on Phase 2 REM expansions in the Longueuil, Laval, and other suburban municipalities outside of Montreal (e.g. Longueuil's tramway project now officially falls under CDQPi's jurisdiction, which will likely see it become a new branch of the existing REM system).

At the end of the day, I feel like what matters to vast majority of people (folks not following transit forums...) is the speed which new transit infrastructure gets built. And CDQPi has proven to be very adept at managing this aspect of their projects, making sure that their progress is highly visible to the general public.
Click to expand...
I guess that convinces me.

Sign over the rest of the 400 series highways to the CPP and Metrolinx over to the OTPP. While we're at it, give the OTPP a majority stake in MLSE again.
 
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