Tonight at 20h55 TS 710 will be the last passanger flight leaving YMX to CDG.
A sad day in Canadian aviation history
Cry me a river. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong concept. If they wanted it to succeed, they (all the complainers in positions of authority) should have built the access roads and mass transit to make it work, then shut down Dorval. But there was always federalist vs separatist tensions in the issue. Quebec never did build the access roads and mass transit. Some day those runways may have a future, and if so, I hope they do it right. By that time, the area around YMX may be urban subdivisions, with an overall population north of Montreal as large or larger than the population on the island so that the transit component can double as commuter lines. But I'm thinking 20 years ahead.
Cry me a river. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong concept. If they wanted it to succeed, they (all the complainers in positions of authority) should have built the access roads and mass transit to make it work, then shut down Dorval. But there was always federalist vs separatist tensions in the issue. Quebec never did build the access roads and mass transit. Some day those runways may have a future, and if so, I hope they do it right. By that time, the area around YMX may be urban subdivisions, with an overall population north of Montreal as large or larger than the population on the island so that the transit component can double as commuter lines. But I'm thinking 20 years ahead.
your comment is accurate...for now. The way Montreal is booming and growing I think putting all the money into Dorval that they are could be a long term mistake...ten years out YUL could very possibly be outdated or too small for the traffic that might want to go there.
your comment is accurate...for now. The way Montreal is booming and growing I think putting all the money into Dorval that they are could be a long term mistake...ten years out YUL could very possibly be outdated or too small for the traffic that might want to go there.
It could be, but Montreal has to overcome some enormous infrastructural problems to relaunch YMX. Right now, the only practical road link right to YMX is the Laurentian Autoroute. Autoroute 13 would have to be extended. The big problem, however, is that all traffic from downtown to either YUL or YMX has to flow through the same choke point - the junction of 2/20 and Decarie Expressway, and the Turcot Yard Interchange. With Dorval, you can go either 2/20 or Decarie. With the 13 not completed, you can really only go up Decarie from downtown, and then you have to cope with the Metropolitan and Laurention Autoroute. Toronto traffic can be pretty bad, but Montreal takes the cake. At least with Dorval, you have two roads that can pretty well get you there, and I hear there is talk about finally extended Cavendish from Cote St. Luc through to Cote de Liesse which would create a third, if somewhat slower way to YUL. And you can take a commuter train or Via to Dorval. It's easier to build mass transit than to expand Montreal's highway system, so before anyone relaunches YMX, there absolutely has to be a firm commitment to build the necessary mass transit links.
There was a report on this issue on CBC news the other night. As someone who never flew out of Mirabel (always used Dorval) and also didn't know about all of the political intrique, it was a very interesting piece. They dealt with perspectives from farmers around the area whose land was appropriated, how they felt then and do feel now, politicians, former airport managers etc and showed various areas of the airport. They also mentioned the railway station underneath the airport that quite literally goes nowhere. The airport looked good - if not somewhat dated. This shouldn't be a surprise considering that, according to the report, Mirabel's best year was 3 million passengers. They also said that Mirabel lies some 60 km outside of Montreal yet they said it takes an hour to get there (presumably from city center). Can anyone confirm these details ? Also, I'm wondering if the Montreal situation had any impact on Edmonton with its YXD/YEG dilemma..?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parnel
your comment is accurate...for now. The way Montreal is booming and growing I think putting all the money into Dorval that they are could be a long term mistake...ten years out YUL could very possibly be outdated or too small for the traffic that might want to go there.
Specially with the landing fees GTAA is now asking all airlines. I've read not too long ago that GTAA is charging close to 8 000$ for an Airbus 340-500, where YUL is charging around 4 000$. The article was also mentioning that AC has already started to redirect some of it's flights to YUL...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebring
It's easier to build mass transit than to expand Montreal's highway system, so before anyone relaunches YMX, there absolutely has to be a firm commitment to build the necessary mass transit links.
Why is it so hard for North American politicians to grasp this. MUC has to be just as far from Munich's city centre as YMX is from Montreal but because of the 2 S-Bahn lines it's a relative breeze to and from downtown(that is if you don't indulge in a beer beforehand and need a WC while on the train ). Doesn't Bombardier build the train carriages for the S-Bahn? If so you would think the feds would be very open to building a train line sometime in the future to YMX.
Why is it so hard for North American politicians to grasp this. MUC has to be just as far from Munich's city centre as YMX is from Montreal but because of the 2 S-Bahn lines it's a relative breeze to and from downtown(that is if you don't indulge in a beer beforehand and need a WC while on the train ). Doesn't Bombardier build the train carriages for the S-Bahn? If so you would think the feds would be very open to building a train line sometime in the future to YMX.
Here in YVR they've finally grasped it! The Canada Line will be up and running to the airport by 2010, as long as the best and final bids that have now been submitted are approved.
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And thank goodness the final station on either line is the airport (else me returning from one blurry Oktoberfest might not be speaking to you at this instant) ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crampedin13A
Why is it so hard for North American politicians to grasp this. MUC has to be just as far from Munich's city centre as YMX is from Montreal but because of the 2 S-Bahn lines it's a relative breeze to and from downtown(that is if you don't indulge in a beer beforehand and need a WC while on the train ). Doesn't Bombardier build the train carriages for the S-Bahn? If so you would think the feds would be very open to building a train line sometime in the future to YMX.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YYCOllie
And thank goodness the final station on either line is the airport (else me returning from one blurry Oktoberfest might not be speaking to you at this instant) ...
Actually believe it or not you can screw it up(and this after at least 15 trips to Munich). After an afternoon in the beer garden me and some friends managed to get on the S8 going westbound rather than to the airport. After realizing that none of the stops were familiar and that the number of people with luggage was decreasing we came to the consensus that we were going the wrong way. We got to the airport 15 minutes before the flight to Heathrow and by an unbelievable combination of events we made the flight. Post 9/11 no less.
). Doesn't Bombardier build the train carriages for the S-Bahn? If so you would think the feds would be very open to building a train line sometime in the future to YMX.
. We got to the airport 15 minutes before the flight to Heathrow and by an unbelievable combination of events we made the flight. Post 9/11 no less.
