Train disruptions likely as work on Montreal’s Vendôme tunnel continues

Three commuter rail lines operated by Exo pass through Montreal’s Vendôme station on a near-daily basis.

But passengers could soon be stuck out in the cold, as interruptions to rail service are expected due to the construction of the new Vendôme ^tunnel, which will be located beneath the commuter rail tracks.

Global News has learned that there will be an “impact” on rail service, according to Catherine Maurice, a spokesperson for Exo. No other details were offered on what that impact might be.

“My understanding is that (it will be) a long weekend, where they would stop the trains in order to slide the final part of the tunnel under the train tracks,” Coun. Peter McQueen told Global News.

In addition to the service disruptions, people working and living in the area are finding it hard to get around due to the construction.

Work on the Vendôme tunnel — which will link between the train station with the McGill University Health Centre — has required the creation of a temporary but narrow pedestrian walkway that cuts into part of Maisonneuve Boulevard.

“(They) should have been a little more thoughtful about access because this is a busy area,” Francisco Noya, a pedestrian in the area, told Global News.

The project has a price tag of $76.5 million, completely funded by the Quebec government, and is slated to open by the winter of 2020.

A spokesperson for the STM, which is overseeing the project, says more information will be made public in April.