Mount Royal Tunnel facts for kids
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| Looking east towards the portal of the Mount Royal Tunnel and Jean Talon Street | |
Quick facts for kids Overview |
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| Line | Réseau express métropolitain (future) |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1911 |
| Closed | May 11, 2020 |
| Traffic | Urban rail transit |
| Technical | |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Tunnel clearance | 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) |
The Mount Royal Tunnel (also known as Tunnel sous le mont Royal in French) is a railway tunnel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the third longest railway tunnel in Canada. The tunnel connects Central Station in Downtown Montreal with the north side of Montreal Island and Laval. It goes right through Mount Royal.
The tunnel was first planned by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). They wanted a direct way to get to Downtown Montreal without going around the mountain or through busy areas. Building this tunnel was very expensive. The cost, along with other projects, caused CNoR to have money problems. In 1918, the Canadian government took over the company. The newly formed Canadian National Railways (CNR) then took control of the tunnel.
For many years, the tunnel was mainly used by commuter trains. From 2014 to 2020, it was also used by the Mascouche line. On May 11, 2020, the Mount Royal Tunnel closed for about three years. It is expected to open again in 2023. From then on, it will be used only by the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) train system.
Contents
Building the Mount Royal Tunnel
The idea for the tunnel came about in 1910. The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) needed a way to reach downtown Montreal easily. Other railway companies already had the best routes around the mountain. CNoR wanted a straight path and to avoid crossing other railway lines.
To pay for the expensive tunnel, CNoR planned to build a new community. They bought cheap farmland north of Mount Royal and developed it into a model town. This town was named Town of Mount Royal. CNoR also planned a train station downtown with offices and shops. They bought many farms, including some famous for growing Montreal melons. Over $1.5 million was spent buying this land.
In 1911, a company was created to build the tunnel and station. Construction began on July 8, 1912. Workers dug from both the east and west sides of Mount Royal. On December 10, 1913, the two teams met in the middle. They were only off by about 1 inch (2.5 cm)! The tunnel is about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) long.
CNoR ordered six electric locomotives in 1914 to use in the tunnel. These trains were delivered in 1916–1917. The tunnel was lined with concrete by 1916. Two railway tracks and electric power lines were installed by September 1918. Building the tunnel was slow because of World War I and CNoR's money problems. The very first train went through the tunnel on October 21, 1918. This event was not widely celebrated because of the war and the Spanish flu epidemic.
Tunnel Ownership and Use Changes
In 1918, the Canadian government took over the CNoR company. They created the Canadian National Railways (CNR) to run CNoR and other railway lines. CNR took over the Mount Royal Tunnel when it was finished. Later, in 1923, CNR also took over the Grand Trunk Railway. This gave CNR better routes to other cities like Ottawa and Toronto. Because of this, the Mount Royal Tunnel line became less important for long-distance travel. However, it still plays a key role in Montreal's local transport.
CNR slowly developed the land around the tunnel from the 1930s to the 1960s. A new main train station, Central Station, opened on July 14, 1943. This station brought together all of CNR's passenger services in Montreal. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, more of the land around the tunnel was developed. The famous Queen Elizabeth Hotel opened in 1958, followed by the CN headquarters building in 1961 and Place Ville-Marie in 1962.
In 1982, CN signed an agreement with STCUM (a public transport agency). CN operated the commuter train service through the tunnel for STCUM. In 1992, the Quebec government announced a big project to modernize the Mount Royal Tunnel line. This included new train cars, upgraded stations, tracks, and electric systems.
On June 2, 1995, the old electric locomotives that had been used since 1918 were retired. These trains had served for almost 77 years! They were replaced by 58 new, modern electric trains called MR-90 units.
Recent Use of the Tunnel
Until May 2020, commuter trains from Exo's Deux-Montagnes and Mascouche services used the Mount Royal Tunnel. Before 1995, some Via Rail trains also used the tunnel. The tunnel's electric power system was updated in 1995. The old system used 3000 volts DC, and the new one uses 25,000 volts AC. Diesel trains cannot use the tunnel because its ventilation system is too small to handle their exhaust fumes.
New Ownership and Upgrades
On February 28, 2014, the public transport agency AMT (now RTM) bought the Deux-Montagnes line from CN for $97 million. This agreement allows CN to still use the tracks for freight trains during certain hours.
There are also plans to add a second track from Bois-Franc to Roxboro-Pierrefonds. This will allow RTM to run many more trains on the line.
Mascouche Line Service
On December 1, 2014, the Mascouche line started service. This line uses the Deux-Montagnes line for part of its journey. Then, it turns onto another track towards Mascouche. The trains on this line use special locomotives that can switch between electric power and diesel power. They run on electricity in the tunnel and then switch to diesel further along the line.
See also
In Spanish: Túnel bajo el Monte Royal para niños
