AMT rush hour delays cause commuter headaches

Some AMT commuters are angry after longtrain delays hit in the middle of morning rush hour on Tuesday.

The commuter train agency reported delays on its Mascouche and Deux-Montagnes lines, citing signalling and electrical problems on the CN-owned tracks.

Derek Cassoff takes the Deux-Montagnes train from Pierrefonds-Roxboro station to Montreal's central station.

His train arrived at the station on time, but sat there motionless for 20 minutes.

"They finally made an announcement after 20, 25 minutes that there were going to be delays and if we wanted to get off and use alternate transportation, now was the time to do so. And about 15 seconds later, the doors shut," he said.

[There was] no indication of how long it was going to be and no indication that there were any alternatives, nothing.It's as if they are transporting cattle.- AMT user Marco Burelli

Cassoffsaidonce the train made it to the Canora station, they sat at the platform for 45 minutes. Then the train stopped for another 20 minutes insidethe Mount Royal Tunnel, which leads to the central station.

"What concerns me the most, as someone who takes this train every single day, it really laid bare today how there doesn't seem to be any sort of safety precaution or protocol in place," saidCassoff.

Marco Burelli also takes train from Pierrefonds-Roxboro to central stationa trip he says normally takes about 25 minutes.

On Tuesday it tooktwo-and-a-half hours.

"[There was] no indication of how long it was going to be and no indication that there were any alternatives, nothing," he said. "It's as if they are transporting cattle."

AMT spokesperson Fanie St-Pierre saidcomplaints should be directed to CN.