AMT promises an easier ride for commuters this winter

By Kevin Woodhouse

The Vaudreuil train station was an apt location for last Friday’s press conference hosted by the AMT where president Joel Gauthier announced, along with various off island and West Island MNAs, the company’s intentions and improvements for the coming winter commuter season.

The location’s choice on the blustery and rainy afternoon was symbolic of the AMT’s woes of late. Currently, there is no shelter available for anyone taking the train at that stop, 16,000 commuters a day or 3.5 million users every year, but Gauthier was front and centre, talking about improvements.

One such addition was the construction of a heated shelter for the Vaudreuil stop that will be ready by the spring of 2010.

Gauthier was effusive in his praise for Jacques Cartier MNA Geoffrey Kelley, Marquette’s Francois Ouimet, Soulanges MNA Lucie Charlebois and Yvon Marcoux, MNA for Vaudreuil, and the provincial government for their collaboration and financial help, including an additional $159 million for the AMT’s improvements, and patience as work to purchase new trains and locomotives, the 160 double decker train cars which will be finally ready for this spring, began in 2007.

Gauhtier also mentioned the AMT’s renovation of their communications, improving speakers at stations and in train cars as well as providing real time updates for e-mail, Blackberries or cell phones can help commuters plan accordingly. The free service will be beginning shortly.

The AMT president not only wants to make up for last year’s delays and frequent breakdowns, he wants to implement “world class service.”

AMT and CP have come to an agreement that at the end of June, 2010, the AMT will be seeking another company to carry out the specific maintenance needs for trains such as the door mechanisms, speakers and the A/C and heating units.

Kelley, a longtime public transport user himself, believes in mass transit “because with more homes being built there is increased traffic and with large roadwork projects like the Dorval Circle or Turcot, there will be challenges ahead.”

The Jacques Cartier MNA could attest to last winter’s “unacceptable service because I got many messages at my office with constituents asking me ‘when they were going to get home?’ or ‘how come I can’t get to my 8:30 class on time?’”

New switches that do not freeze, a major contribution to last winter’s frequent delays, have also been ameliorated, Kelley said.

Charlebois told the assembled about the upcoming study to determine whether a train stop for St. Lazare would be feasible.

During the question and answer portion, Gauthier was asked whether or not the AMT would remit refunds for poor service like they did last year.
“Last year’s conditions were exceptional and our top priority is to provide reliable service, not refunds,” Gauthier replied.