Disruptions on some Exo commuter train lines continue in Montreal, despite end of rail lockout

Thousands of Canadian passenger train riders are changing their travel plans for a second day after a nationwide rail lockout paralyzed lines in major metropolitan areas. 

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to impose final, binding arbitration to end the work stoppage.

Canadian National Railway Co. said Thursday evening it had ended its lockout and initiated a recovery plan, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. says it’s preparing to restart operations.

CPKC also said in a statement the CIRB called an urgent meeting Thursday evening about getting service resumed, but noted the Teamsters union refused to discuss resuming service and wants to make submissions to challenge the constitutionality of MacKinnon’s direction.

CN and CPKC locked out workers after they failed to reach a deal on a new contract before a midnight deadline Thursday, the first simultaneous shutdown on Canada’s two largest railways.

In Montreal, three of the Exo network train lines that run on the CPKC tracks will remain suspended on Friday: Vaudreuil/Hudson, Saint-Jérôme and Candiac.

Trains running on the CN network, Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Mascouche will maintain normal service.

Exo spokesperson Catherine Maurice said they don’t know when service will resume.

“Service will still be stopped on Friday because of the rail dispute for the following lines: 11 – Vaudreuil/Hudson, 12 – Saint Jérôme and 14 – Candiac,” she said.

She added Exo acknowledges the decision taken by the Minister of Labour of Canada.

Maurice added that it “appears that the CFTC, which represents the CPKC’s Trains and Locomotives Division and Rail Traffic Controllers Division, has declined to discuss a return to service and has instead indicated that it wishes to make submissions challenging the constitutionality of the Minister’s directive, as well as the CIRB’s discretion to follow through on any order.

“The resumption timeframe is currently unknown,” she said. “We are awaiting instructions from the CPKC, the owner of the railway lines on which we are unable to operate trains, before deciding on the terms and timing of the resumption of commuter train service.”

Maurice adds that they are monitoring developments closely and hope to be able to resume service as quickly as possible.

Karina Andone, a resident of Île-Perrot west of Montreal, figures it will take her more than two hours each way to get to and from work using a combination of her car and city buses.

She says there aren’t any shuttles planned from the station she uses and that it’s not feasible to drive all the way downtown because of heavy traffic and high parking prices.

Exo says it will have some buses for customers up and running by Monday, but warns that it won’t have enough to fully replace the suspended train service.

“That is going to upset people actually because they cannot get to their destination,” said Corina Lupo. “Somebody has to do something about that.”

Confused travellers were turned away from closed rail lines Thursday, and the agency responsible for GO Transit in Ontario said service would remain disrupted Friday on the Milton line and at Hamilton GO Station.

“I think it would affect the students. I’m from the South Shore Montreal and I take the 22 train in and out. I really think for the students it would cause a huge problem,” said Emily Sherwin.

“Having to find buses or different ways of getting to the metro because a lot don’t have cars and stuff like that because they are younger. Maybe in their first semester, their second semester, so they don’t have their licenses yet. So I really think for the students it would cause a huge problem.”

British Columbia’s regional carrier, TransLink, announced that West Coast Express service would also remain out of service Friday.

Via Rail said trains on its 480-kilometre Sudbury-White River line, which runs three times a week in northern Ontario, are cancelled until the work stoppage is resolved.

Affected commuter railways in Ontario and British Columbia also operate on CPKC-owned lines.

“You have to either take a car or you have to take other means of transport and if you’re not from the island of Montreal it could really affect your transportation and how you get to work,” said a Montrealer CityNews spoke to.

CPKC said Thursday that further details about the timing of service resumption would be provided once it received the order from the industrial relations board.

Exo is planning to provide an update on Sunday, should any new developments occur within the situation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.