Is Amtrak Changing Stations In Montreal??

Dieter wrote:...
You don't think an extra thirty minutes to disembark in shelter with a raised platform is worth it? I think so, you guys don't.
...

The train loses money. If you want to cover the loss or make capital expenditures with your money I'm sure Amtrak, VIA, AMT, CN, CP and others will listen to what you want to do.

Nine years ago, the day before taking the Vermonter connecting bus (no longer runs) I saw the Adirondack sitting in the Lucien Allier station. Is that usual, as a storage area?

george matthews wrote:Nine years ago, the day before taking the Vermonter connecting bus (no longer runs) I saw the Adirondack sitting in the Lucien Allier station. Is that usual, as a storage area?

I have no idea what the Adirondack would have been doing at LuLa nine years ago (still called Terminus Windsor at that time) The Adirondack is serviced at VIA’s Montreal Maintenance Centre (near the Victoria Bridge) and to reach LuLa from Gare Centrale it’s a long run out to Dorval (12 miles). Back through the connecting track where CN & CP run parallel then continue back downtown (10 miles).

AMT obtained some former Amtrak F40 to use on commuter runs out of LuLa. Not sure when AMT got them but could some still have been in Amtrak paint?

AMT obtained some former Amtrak F40 to use on commuter runs out of LuLa. Not sure when AMT got them but could some still have been in Amtrak paint?

Ah, perhaps that was it. It certainly looked like an Amtrak train. I made an assumption it was the Adirondack - it was quite late in the evening. I was just exploring Montreal prior to getting the early bus to St Albans next morning.

george matthews wrote:

Ah, perhaps that was it. It certainly looked like an Amtrak train. I made an assumption it was the Adirondack - it was quite late in the evening. I was just exploring Montreal prior to getting the early bus to St Albans next morning.

Even the current AMT paint scheme is reminescent of the former Amtrak scheme

http://www.myrailfan.com/News/1021/

Dieter wrote: .....The first time I saw Lucien L'Allier was after the opening of Molson Centre and it reminded me instantly of a place I had seen in the mid 70's; a part of Vienna bombed from the sky by the Allies and shelled by the Soviets that had never been rebuilt

Are you sure we're talking about the same place here?? Lucien L'Allier?? It opened as part of the Molson Centre about 13 years ago. Bright with lots of glass and aluminum and you can see this in the photo you posted above. I was through there last month on two round trips on AMT to/from Laval and have always found it clean and well kept. Sure it lacks amenities right now, just a newstand/snack bar which is all the commuter really needs but I have no reason to believe these wouldn't expanded a bit if Amtrak moves in.

What I do find dark and gloomy for the traveller arriving the first-time in Montreal, are the underground platforms at Gare Centrale. They rebuilt the stair/escalator entrance but I thought they would have added some brighter lighting and new finishes along the length of the platform

reason to believe these wouldn't expanded a bit if Amtrak moves in.

What makes you think anyone would invest in more amenities for a single round trip per day? There also really is not that much waiting area, not sure where they would find room to do a pre-clearance.

drewh wrote: What makes you think anyone would invest in more amenities for a single round trip per day? There also really is not that much waiting area, not sure where they would find room to do a pre-clearance.

Some agency must be considering an investment at LuLa to accommodate Amtrak or they wouldn’t be considering a move there. Pre-clearance was mentioned as an option (see back at the start of this thread) so there must be room to construct these facilities. Amtrak has already run a test train so they it must consider LuLa a viable option.

NS VIA FAN wrote:

Dieter wrote: .....The first time I saw Lucien L'Allier was after the opening of Molson Centre and it reminded me instantly of a place I had seen in the mid 70's; a part of Vienna bombed from the sky by the Allies and shelled by the Soviets that had never been rebuilt

Are you sure we're talking about the same place here?? Lucien L'Allier?? It opened as part of the Molson Centre about 13 years ago. Bright with lots of glass and aluminum and you can see this in the photo you posted above. I was through there last month on two round trips on AMT to/from Laval and have always found it clean and well kept. Sure it lacks amenities right now, just a newstand/snack bar which is all the commuter really needs but I have no reason to believe these wouldn't expanded a bit if Amtrak moves in.

What I do find dark and gloomy for the traveller arriving the first-time in Montreal, are the underground platforms at Gare Centrale. They rebuilt the stair/escalator entrance but I thought they would have added some brighter lighting and new finishes along the length of the platform

I think they would be crazy to move the Adirondack to Lucien L'Allier there is absolutely nothing there!!! Yes Central Station may be dark and gloomy arriving at but it has so much to offer with shops,Ticketing a big plus!,the station is air conditioned. If they move it from here they are nuts! I would not want to arrive there as there are NO services. It will really turn people off from taking the train to and from Montreal. Even if is faster what a crappy place to arrive in for a big city like montreal.
Something is not right with this story! Please keep the train at Central Station or rider ship will go down...

Seeing as this thread is getting incredibly long and hard to find all the specific points, let's review:

1.) When Amtrak was running out of Windsor, what amenities did it have then that it does not have now?

2.) Also, does anybody know what Amtrak officials observed and liked or disliked about the proposed re-routing?

First, Mr. Gaspe', as a Past Moderator may I say welcome to our forum.

It appears you are lining up with the camp, with Mr. Dieter being the most vocal, that holds passenger amenities should 'trump' the possibility the State of New York can save some $1.8M on the Adirondack's access to Montreal. Others such as Messrs. NSVIA, Weaver, and myself hold the possible savings to the Adirondack's sponsor should prevail.

To reiterate a point I made earlier in the discussion, Canadian National "proper' was outside the jurisdiction of the Amtrak enabling legislation (RPSA '70), which of course was not a bi-lateral treaty with Canada. As a result, and I have first hand knowledge of such, CN did a "smackdown' with regarding access; they knew Amtrak was mandated to offer International Service and they made sure Amtrak had to 'dig deep".

But how about everyone taking a deep breath and see if such a proposal is being floated to see if CN will make a "concession'; maybe they will.

Now to address one of Mr. Shivik's meaningful points, while the last time I was in Montreal, the main street to the North of Central Station was named Dorchester rather than 'Rue whatever...(and for that matter Salisbury was the Capitol of a sovereign nation named Rhodesia)", Windsor was a very Anglican looking structure yet quite functional for the volume of traffic it handled during the 70's when I last set foot in it. There should be some photos of it at the web. Suffice to say, all amenities were offered; lest we forget there was a Montreal section of The Canadian; and until they became disheartened during the '60's, CP was "up there with the best'.

As I'm only a 40-minute bike ride away from Lu-La, I do not use it and am not that familiar with it. But I do know that since its opening, slowly but surely the amount of traffic it sees has increased along with the amount of trains and the amount of destinations served (the routes of both the south-shore commuter train and the Laval/north-shore one have been extended).
During Windsor Station's last days, there was only the one Dorion/Rigaud line; there are now three at Lu-La. I don't quite remember how it was at Lu-La's outset, but I do wish to make the point that it itsn't as "dead" now as it may have been a decade ago. Depending on when one was last there, the situation may have changed (for the better).

Having been there myself, I agree that it's a downgrade from Central Station, but one that I as a passenger would be more than willing to make in exchange for significant time savings.

Matt Johnson wrote:Having been there myself, I agree that it's a downgrade from Central Station, but one that I as a passenger would be more than willing to make in exchange for significant time savings.

lets not forget a possible lower ticket price as an incentive, just look around ( not quoting prices) but Amtrak 7 day advance ticket is already lower than Greyhound being able to save and additional yet modest $3-$5 per ticket per way makes a big difference as well .

Slogan "cheaper than the Bus, more leg room than the bus, better washrooms than the bus,...... JUST more Comfortable!"

There are plenty of other stations with as few amenities serving Amtrak trains in major cities and busy locations. North Station in Boston, for one: although the platforms are covered, the waiting facilities are spartan, at best. Buffalo Depew, as far as I can recall, appears to be in the middle of a windswept prairie with no platform shelters at all-- this in a place that gets something like 6' of snow a year. Oakland, CA is in the middle of a street. Stamford, CT has a smallish waiting area up several flights of stairs, and platforms with shelter roofs that do little or nothing if you're waiting for a train in a Nor'easter.

Given that we're talking about a fairly busy station that's really in the center of downtown Montreal, with hotels/shops/metro/etc. within blocks, I don't see this as a big issue.