Calls renewed for safe alternative to illegal train crossing in Montreal’s Mile End

There are calls for heightened safety following the death of a woman who was hit by a train at a popular illegal crossing on Thursday.

This illegal crossing is a popular shortcut between the Plateau Mont-Royal’s Mile End neighborhood and the Rosemont borough.

“A couple of hundred people every morning are crossing this passage, so it’s a lot,” said Axel Lelaquet, who often uses the crossing.

According to Montreal Police (SPVM), a 31-year-old woman was hit and killed by a train Thursday afternoon.

Although the circumstances surrounding her death are still under investigation, the incident has reignited calls for a permanent and safe pedestrian crossing to be built between Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood and Rosemont.

“Just having a simple crossway upwards can basically save a lot of danger,” said Lelaquet.

A citizens group has been asking Canadian Pacific (CP), the company which owns the rails, to install a safe passage for pedestrians for more than a decade.

They say this latest accident is a wake-up call for CP.

“People will continue to cut holes in the fence and cross illegally and unsafely because the city and the infrastructure around these train tracks has not adapted to the reality of our neighborhoods today,” said Mistaya Hemingway, a member of the Collective for Level Crossing.

Efforts to secure the passage have also been made at the Federal level.

Back in 2016, the NDP put forward a bill that would give the federal government powers to mandate pedestrian crossings on train tracks, but it didn’t pass.

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Alexandre Boulerice has been part of the efforts and is an MP for the area of Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie.

“It’s sad, but not surprising,” said Boulerice of the woman’s death. “I hope it will make a reaction in Ottawa to change the legislation.”

Boulerice says combined efforts from members of his party and the city of Montreal to convince CP to build a safe crossing did not bear fruit either.

“CP is not really listening,” Boulerice said.

Parc-Extension residents had a similar issue at the Parc commuter train station located on Ogilvy Avenue.

Residents and the city advocated for years to get a pedestrian crossing installed, which finally opened last December.

Pedestrians in the area say it’s made their lives easier and safer as barriers come down whenever a train is set to pass and lift when it’s safe to cross.

“It’s safer, for sure,” said Roxanne Langevin.

Langevin says she also saves 20 minutes by crossing the railway on her way to the park, instead of going around it.

In a statement to Global News, Plateau-Mont-Royal mayor Luc Rabouin called the woman’s death “an extremely sad event.”

“My thoughts are with the loved ones and family of this young woman,” Rabouin said.

“It is a sad reminder that illegal crossings are a very real danger to the safety of citizens. We are ready to collaborate and to put ourselves in solution mode with CP to quickly find a permanent and safe solution to regularize the crossing of several hundred citizens per day.”

Stacy Patenaude, the Manager for CP’s government affairs and communications wrote in an email to Global News that “CP Police continue to investigate the incident in collaboration with Montréal Police,” but didn’t address requests to install a pedestrian crossing in the area.