New railcars rolling out on exo’s Saint-Jérôme commuter rail line

People coming from the lower Laurentians into Montreal will have a more comfortable way to travel as of June 25th.

Each one has the capacity for 147 seated passengers on two floors.

They’re equipped with USB ports and are accessible for people with reduced mobility.

The aisles have been widened and extra space has been made for bicycles and strollers.

”We are really proud of that new rolling stock that we put in place on the Saint-Jérôme line,” Sylvain Yelle, the CEO of exo told Global News.

$204 million was invested to build the new cars. More than half of that amount came from the Quebec provincial government.

”In a modern way, it’s going to (be) better, it’s going to be enjoyable,” Youri Chassin, the CAQ MNA for Saint-Jérôme, said Friday morning.

The contract to build the railcars was awarded to the Chinese manufacturer CRRC, which built 70 per cent of the components.

The Chinese company has been criticized by transit agencies in the U.S. for missing delivery deadlines and production problems.

But Yelle says the trains underwent months of testing before being rolled out on the tracks.

”Our technical staff are really confident about that material,” he said.

The railcars are being added to replace some of exo’s aging fleet, but the new models will only be used on the Saint-Jérôme line — which Yelle says is now the busiest on exo’s network.

Most of the landscape between the stops in the lower Laurentians is rural but cities like Saint-Jérôme are growing quickly.

The mayor says 2,000 new residents a year are moving into the city and new, modern railcars will encourage more people to leave their cars at home.

”Instead of taking their cars to go to Montreal directly by Highway 15 which is a lot congested, they’re going to stop here and take the train,” Marc Bourcier, the Mayor of Saint-Jérôme, said.

It’s a $204-mllion gamble that officials hope will pay off by encouraging more people to hop on board exo’s newest fleet.