The major works planned at Lucien-L’Allier station will finally be launched from 1er next April. The vast project will result in the closure of the terminus of three major commuter train lines, in downtown Montreal, for 6 to 12 months.
This was confirmed on Wednesday by the exo carrier, responsible for the commuter train network in Greater Montreal, saying it was aware of the upheaval in habits that this will have on users.
The project, estimated at $69 million in exo’s most recent budget, essentially aims to rebuild the station’s four platforms which have reached the end of their useful life. We also plan to add a canopy on the platforms, with skylights, to protect customers from rain and bad weather. Finally, emergency exits will also be installed to improve the security of the premises.
“We bring the station to 21e century. This is really work that will be worthwhile,” says the organization’s spokesperson, Eric Edström.
The time had come to intervene, since the last major renovations on the platforms of Lucien-L’Allier station had been carried out almost 50 years ago, at the time of the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. Their condition deterioration is today a “major obstacle” to the quality of service due to “increasingly frequent” repairs, says the organization.
Major impacts
Who says works, says impacts on the service. The construction site will in fact lead to several “phased” closures until spring 2025, which will force route changes for users.
First, users of line 11-Vaudreuil-Hudson – the busiest in the network – will not be able to disembark or board at the Lucien-L’Allier station for approximately six months from 1er april. For lines 12-Saint-Jérôme and 14-Candiac, the closure will be extended over a period of an entire year.
In short, trains on lines 11 and 14 will stop at Vendôme station, from where users will be able to connect with Vendôme station, on the orange line of the Montreal metro. As for line 12, it will stop in particular at Parc station, where it will be possible to connect with the metro station of the same name, which is located on the blue line.
The carrier specifies, however, that “certain trains on line 12-Saint-Jérôme will continue their journey to Montréal-Ouest station to ensure continued access to students and workers in this sector.” No metro connections will be available from this station.
The general director of exo, Sylvain Yelle, claims to have “chosen the scenario which limits the impacts as much as possible for local residents and users, while ensuring sound management of public funds”.
More users on the metro
Agents will be present on the ground over the coming weeks to prepare users for the changes. “We also discussed with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), since we know that there will be a certain number of additional users who will take the metro,” assures Mr. Edström.
Around 7,000 users normally go to Lucien-L’Allier station every day. If the situation requires it, exo does not rule out deploying other mitigation measures, such as shuttles. “We will continue to evaluate the situation and see if there are adjustments to be made, but for the moment, we are relying on the infrastructures that are already in place. We also know that with teleworking habits have changed, but we are sure to monitor that closely,” concludes the spokesperson.
He affirms that his group preferred to carry out work over a year “rather than just closing at night, which would have resulted in a much longer construction site and significant nuisance for local residents”.
The ticket office at Lucien-L’Allier station will remain closed for the duration of the work, but the ticket vending machines will still be accessible. To obtain service in person, however, you will have to go to the Parc or Vendôme stations. Finally, access to the Bell Center will remain possible throughout the entire project.