Unless the situation turns around, the 10,000 or so daily commuters on the Vaudreuil/Hudson commuter train line will have to find a Plan B starting this Thursday.

In the event of a rail strike, the commuter service provided by the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) network will not be able to operate.

The union representing CPKC employees filed a 72-hour strike notice last Sunday. The lockout will impact not only freight transport, but also the commuter train line that runs on CPKC tracks.

“Our teams are already working on setting up alternative bus services in the event of a stoppage of service on the commuter trains concerned. These will be specified in the coming days, on the exo website, by Chrono and on the X accounts of the Vaudreuil/Hudson, Saint-Jérôme and Candiac train lines,” says exo spokesman Éric Edström by e-mail.

Exo is currently working on the introduction of bus shuttles. That said, the organization fears it won't be able to provide a place for everyone. 

“The bus shuttles that will be proposed will not be able to compensate for the entire service of the three train lines affected, especially at the height of the school year. We are confident that we will be able to deploy a number of bus shuttles as early as Monday August 26. Our efforts will focus on providing service during peak periods,” adds the spokesperson.

“We recommend that affected customers start thinking about an alternative route using exo's regular bus service or the STM's STL services. To do so, consult the exo trip planner and uncheck the train option,” concludes Éric Edström.