New transit hub in Dorval to connect trains, buses and airport

VIA Rail is moving ahead with plans for a new transit hub in Dorval that will better connect VIA Rail, exo trains, and Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport shuttle services together at the current exo station site.   

The railway has launched the co-development phase of the Dorval Multimodal Hub, aimed at making connections easier for West Island commuters and making journeys more seamless for travellers.

The work includes bringing VIA Rail and exo stations together on the current exo site, as a one-stop shop for transit, integrating the shuttle service to the airport and better aligning connections between the networks.

For travellers, this will mean easier transfers, less travel between facilities, shorter transfer times and, ultimately, a more seamless and predictable travel experience.

“This is going to be a great improvement to how people come to this part of Dorval,” said Dorval Mayor Marc Doret.

“We have exo, we have STM, we have VIA Rail, they’re not all connected, they’re not on the same side of the highway. So this project is really going to put all those groups together in one building, in one spot.”

VIA Rail says the project comes after receiving funding from the federal government in 2021 to improve rail travel in Montreal.

“(To) make it more fluid, reduce bottlenecks,” said said VIA Rail spokesperson Karl Helou. “So that’s when we started to look at what can be improved and this station was a very good case for that.”

The project is being developed with the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, exo, Aéroports de Montréal, and the City of Dorval.

“The fact that we’re doing this in co-development with our partners means that we get their input from the beginning,” Helou added.

“We’re working with a different level of governments here. So really the goal is to take everyone’s input and make sure that what we come up with answers and meets their needs.”

The project is expected to last about a year, with construction set to begin in 2027.

Montrealers told CityNews that the transit hub will be a welcome addition, but that they were cautiously optimistic.

“I wish them good luck, because it seems every time they try to do a project, something happens,” said one Montrealer. “But it would be very convenient.”

Another Montrealer who frequently goes to the airport said the project makes a lot of sense, adding, “I’m looking forward to the completion of the project because as everybody knows it’s been a mess out here at the airport itself. The train’s great. I love the train.”

“I think progress is good,” said another. “If it’s easy to get to, that’s good. If we can get from the North Shore to Dorval easily with public transit and then take the train. That’s also a good thing.”

Doret said once the project is complete, residents in the area will appreciate it.

“I think people are going to be very happy,” he added. “This has been an area of the city that needs redevelopment. This project is about redevelopment, making interconnections by public transit much easier.”