Agreed, switching trains is easy, but switching stations would be a show-stopper.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that for the HFR service. Nor would I expect it. Though there's big cities where one does have to go from one train station to another to continue a trip. Paris, London. Not that I'd design a city that way. At the same time, I don't think either of those cities could handle having all the trains going into a single terminal. Mind you, we are about to have a continuous structure just about from Kings Cross, through St. Pancras, and into Euston. Might as well continue the job and extend it through Marylebone and Paddington! Tunnel from Waterloo and Victoria through Charing Cross into a connecting terminal in Regents Park.
Vendôme is too far from downtown. Might aswell choose the airport instead,
Yeah - 4 short metro stops to the main Lucien L'Allier Exo station. It's only 3.4 km - compare to the 4.8 km from Canora to Metro McGill.
But as I said, I don't see any great choices.
This is unfortunately impossible, given that there are too many bridges under the Westmount Subdivision to dive underground inbetween them. You would need to dive underground west of Rue Girouard, which makes for an extremely expensive tunnel with far less benefits than building one from Gare Centrale to Parc Station…
Decarie might be in the way too.
I figure you stay on the CP track until near de la Montagne. Though I suppose you'd just use Lucien L'Allier.
There unfortunately is not enough space at Canora to build an intercity station and intercity/commuter rail interchange with the REM.
Sure there is - just knock down 100 or so houses. Probably don't need that many. Far less than for the Ontario Line. Or even that bizarre project in Montreal where they down blocks and blocks of houses north of Notre Dame, between d'Iberville and Viau for (checks Streetview) an urban park.
Neither do I and I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody wants to fund the QM segment due to the unavailability of the Mont-Royal tunnel having distroyed most of the commercial and economic rational for that segment…
Unless you found a faster way around the mountain (must be a way to come through the Port and reactivate the old track through Pointe-aux-Trembles that they were going to use for Line 8, about 40 years ago.
Things have been downhill for decent rail connectivity in Montreal since they closed Dalhousie Station, and then Viger Station (which looks far better than either Windsor or Central) and Bonaventure Station. Had they kept them, a tunnel connecting Bonaventure/Windsor to Viger/Dalhousie would have solved everything - and been far cheaper and more useful than tunnelling through Mount Royal!
I would assume that the proposals become public (at least as summaries) once the winning consortium is selected and the route is finalized.
Have they unlocked VIA Fast yet, after 20 years?
Transferring to the Metro isn't as simple. You have to stumble your way though the maze kinda like Union Station trains to subway.
Union Station to the subway is pretty easy if you know the station. You just come out in the Bay concourse and go down the escalator, through the doors, and voila - the subway.
Even knowing the layout in Montreal won't help you get to the subway fast. Though if they ever (or have they?) open the direct connection from the REM platforms to Place Bonaventure, then that would be at least less maze-like - but still a bit of a walk. But will that connection work for everyone in the station, or those on the REM platform - are there fare-gates in the way? Gosh, on the STM (MTC!
) it shows they've opened it. Does that mean there's finally wheelchair access between Metro Bonaventure and Central Station?
In retrospect, they'd have been better off building Metro Bonaventure where Place Bonaventure is.
I'd guess the idea was to connect to both Central Station and Windsor Station. Ironically it's a much better connection to Windsor.
montrealgazette.com
