Montreal’s commuter rail agency, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), is planning on purchasing new double-decker cars for its five line network.
Some of the them could end up on the Deux-Montagnes line, the busiest on the transit agency’s network.
It’s the second time the AMT is considering purchasing double-decker trains. A first proposal was killed last spring after the AMT ruled the only bidder, Bombardier, didn’t meet its requirements.
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But another transit plan could throw the AMT’s possible purchase off track.
Quebec’s pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt, is planning to build its own commuter rail network for greater Montreal – a light rail system that will include trains on the Deux-Montagnes line.
It means the AMT would have to move its newly purchased double-decker trains from the Deux-Montagnes line to another line on its network to make way for the Caisse’s trains.
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Some city councillors warn the AMT to be cautious with taxpayer money.
”We have to make sure we’re not stuck with excess capacity, trains that we will not need. So the AMT has to be prudent in making these decisions,” Alan DeSousa, St-Laurent Borough Mayor, told Global News.
A spokesperson for the Caisse told Global News the pension fund manager is planning to dramatically increase train runs on the Deux-Montagnes line with its light rail system so a multi-level train isn’t necessary.
Regardless, many riders using the line just want more room.
”There’s a lot of people that take the train. So if there’s more space I think more people will tend to take the train,” one rider told Global News.
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