Debbie Howarth has been commuting to Montreal from Pierrefonds since 1975. A recent change to platform crossings at her home station of Roxboro-Pierrefonds has her concerned about commuters with limited mobility.
“I feel for them. Especially people with walkers and stuff like that,” she said. “It’s going to be a problem.”
Exo, the agency managing the regional commuter rail line, said the changes were being made to respond to safety concerns.
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A boy died in September crossing the platform at the Bois-Franc station. A girl was struck by a train at Roxboro-Pierrefonds a year earlier.
In both scenarios, officials said it appeared they were listening to earphones and unaware of coming trains.
“People have to be more alert, they don’t concentrate, everything is rush-rush,” Howarth said. “That’s why this is happening.”
An Exo spokesperson wrote Global News an email saying, “The station remains accessible and we remain attentive to our users in order to facilitate their daily journey as much as possible under these circumstances.”
Some in Pierrefonds principally worry about people who use the southern parking lot and need to cross the platform. Where that was previously an easy stroll, it now involves a hike of almost a block or more to be able to switch platforms.
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