1. J. H. Dorwin's  Industry Village and Rawdon Railroad (1852-1856)

At the age of 88, Dorwin returned to Rawdon with a dream to build yet another railway to Rawdon.  It was never built.

Incorporated in 1892, the GNR ran between Quebec, Joliette, Montcalm, St. Julienne, St. Jerome, Ottawa, and beyond.  At Montcalm station, passengers alighted for Rawdon, about 6 miles away.   There was a Great Northern Hotel in Joliette which still exists today (Grand Nord).

The plan was to build from Rawdon - Hamilton - Cordon - Rawdon Junction (intersecting with the Great Northern Railway)  - St. Alexis - St. Jacques - St. Georges -   l'Epiphanie (intersecting with the line from Montreal-Joliette).

In 1906, the Great Northern Railway and the Chateauguay and Northern Railway merged to form the Canadian Northern Quebec Railway which served Rawdon, until 1919.

In 1919 a number of railways across Canada, including the Canadian Northern Quebec Railway,  were merged  to form the (federal) government-owned Canadian National Railways (CNR).  The CNR continued to run the railway to Rawdon until the tracks were torn up in 1963.

At  present, the closest passenger railway service is at Joliette where the combined Jonquière and Senneterre VIA Rail train to/from Montreal stops three times a week.  The Joliette station is about 18 miles from Rawdon and service is not convenient.

Work has been completed to extend the Lucien l'Allier (Windsor Terminus) - Blainville line to St. Jerome. Tenders were called for August 2005 for  the improvement of 8 kms. of  existing track from Blainville to St. Jerome.  An inaugural train of 8 double-deck cars left St. Jerome with Premier Jean Charest on board on December 16th, 2006, bound for Rosemere.  Full service began January 8th, 2007.

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There have been several plans in the last few years to inagurate commuter train service from Mascouche.  First it  was announced (Montreal Gazette March 22, 2003) that  by the end of 2004 AMT (Agence Métropolitaine de Transport) would begin to run commuter trains on the former Canadian Pacific line from Mascouche to St. Martin Junction connecting with the Blainville commuter line to Park Avenue, Vendome,  and Windsor Terminus (now Lucien l'Allier).    A demonstraton run was operated for Mascouche residents but the service never materialized.

A citizens group is planning to lobby for commuter rail service between Central Station and l'Assomption.  The line would have a stop at Pointe-aux-Trembles,  presumably Montreal North (Nord) and Pie IX.  Discussions are ongoing as to the type of motive power (hybrid or dual mode) to be able to use the Mount Royal tunnel to terminate at Montreal's Central Station.  This future of this line was in competition with the proposed Mascouche-Concorde Metro (or on to  Windsor Terminal/Lucien l'Allier train (see numbers 9 and 10 above).  Latest reported opening date was projected for December, 2007. The final plan (number 12 below)  seems to have killed this plan. for train service to l'Assomption but will offer service to many of the other stations on the line.

This line now seems agreed upon and is a combination of plans 9 and 11 above without serving l'Assomption.  Though the billboard says "less than an hour", the new service will reach Montreal from Mascouche in 61 minutes, from Terrebonne in 58 minutes, from Repentigny in 49minutes, and from Charlemagne in 45 minutes. The line will connect with Line 2 of the Metro at both Sauvé and Central stations.  Some 5,500 people are expected to use the service each morning during rush hour using five trains of double-deck cars with five dual-mode powered locomotives.  The line will be 51 kms long including a new section of track between Terrebonne and Repentigny and is expected to be in operation by 2010.  A look at the map below (the red line) shows that the new line, including new track from  Terrebonne to Repentigny is not exactly the most direct route.

September 21, 2000
Last revised 2008/04/17