Via Rail unveiled plans on Wednesday to build an intermodal hub in Dorval with the goal of bringing Via Rail, Exo, and Trudeau airport shuttle services together at the current Exo site.
The co-development phase, launched Wednesday, will allow partners to define the hub’s design, aiming to ensure a seamless, predictable travel experience for West Island commuters. The plan is to begin construction in 2027.
“The Dorval multimodal hub is a great example of how bringing different modes of transportation together can improve the passenger experience for Canadians,” federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement. “By better connecting passenger rail, public transit and air travel, this project will increase the efficiency of the travel experience while making journeys smoother, more accessible, and more sustainable.”
Mathieu Paquette, president and CEO of VIA Rail Canada, said an estimated 250,000 travellers pass through the existing station every year.
Construction and engineering firm Kiewit Cie will serve as the project’s design and construction partner, according to the statement. It notes stakeholders the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, Exo and Aéroports de Montréal will collaborate closely.
“Our shared objective is to provide passengers with more efficient and user-friendly public transit solutions,” Paquette said in the statement.
The co-development phase aims to identify potential challenges early, provide clearer cost estimates and plan the project schedule.
Via Rail said the hub aligns with the railway’s mission to connect Canadians from coast to coast.
“By strengthening connections between transportation modes and communities, VIA Rail is helping make passenger rail a cornerstone of a modern, accessible and sustainable public transit network that serves people, regions and generations,” the statement says.