Winter train plan: exo's initiatives to prepare for winter

Exo stays a step ahead of snowstorms

For exo, winter starts long before December 21st. Our teams work year-round to improve the service reliability and punctuality of every train line in our network.

Before the winter season, we carried out several initiatives to ready our infrastructure, rolling stock, and operations and maintenance services.

Infrastucture

• Installation of 56 covers for switch system warmers already in place
• Track stabilization work, rail and tie replacements, and levelling of railway crossings on the exo6 Deux-Montagnes line to increase the reliability of our network
• The addition of 12 electric heating elements for the switch system cold air blowers on the exo6 Deux-Montagnes line to limit snow accumulation and ice blockage
• Two railway bridges strengthened on the exo6 Deux-Montagnes line to maintain normal speeds in these areas

Rolling stock

Launch of the MR-90 railcar upgrade program to improve service reliability on the exo6 Deux-Montagnes line. Several systems in these 23-year-old railcars (e.g. propulsion, transformers, heating and AC units, etc.) were upgraded by our service supplier, Bombardier. 

Operations and maintenance

• Enhancement of the Winter Operations Plan 
• Improved communication mechanisms with our suppliers on site in the event of disruptions
• Two Control Centres on the North and South Shores to optimize communications during train service disruptions that require alternative transportation measures
• Additional training provided to front-line employees and train crews to improve communications and services for transit users
• Increased monitoring to improve the agility of operations and maintenance teams to provide required services on a continual basis

To learn more about our initiatives* during winter, consult the exo winter plan.

*These initiatives are part of the RTM in action plan, presented in March 2018; $335M will be invested in this program over five years.