Dorval (Via/Exo Station)

Dorval is actually two adjacent stations sharing the same stretch of railway corridor. The VIA Rail station, at 755 Montreal-Toronto Blvd, has two side platforms connected by an underground passageway and serves all Quebec City–Windsor Corridor intercity trains. Immediately to the west, the Exo station serves commuter trains on the Vaudreuil–Hudson line (Line 11), with its own pair of side platforms linked by a pedestrian tunnel to a bus terminal on the south side.

The tracks here carry traffic from two major subdivisions: CN's Kingston Subdivision—the primary freight and VIA Rail intercity corridor from Toronto to Montreal—and CP's Vaudreuil Subdivision, over which Exo commuter trains operate. This dual-subdivision layout means railfans see a genuine mix of operators and equipment without leaving the platform. During weekday peaks, trains appear every 10–15 minutes, creating an almost continuous show of VIA Siemens Venture trainsets, Exo push-pull commuter consists, and CN freight power rolling through.

Access is straightforward: the station sits alongside the Dorval Circle interchange near Autoroute 20, about one kilometre south of Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Aircraft on final approach regularly pass overhead, adding an aviation dimension that multi-modal enthusiasts appreciate. Both stations are publicly accessible with no admission fee.

Dorval sits on flat terrain at the southern edge of Montreal's airport district. The surrounding landscape is low-rise suburban and light industrial, which leaves rail sightlines largely unobstructed in both directions along the corridor. To the south, Lac Saint-Louis is less than 2 km away, and its proximity influences local weather—humid summer days can produce dramatic cloud formations, while winter brings crisp air and occasional snow-plume effects behind fast-moving trains.

The dominant soundscape is rail-centric: the two-tone horn of approaching VIA consists, the rhythmic thump of freight wheels on welded rail, and the diesel rumble of Exo locomotives idling at the platform. Overhead, jets on approach to the airport's runways add a secondary layer of sound. Street noise is modest thanks to the station's position off the main road network, tucked between the autoroute interchange and the rail corridor. In summer, long daylight hours extend the shooting window well past 8 PM; winter visits offer the stark contrast of colourful locomotives against snow-covered ballast.

VIA Rail Canada: Dorval is a scheduled stop for all VIA Rail Corridor services passing through Montreal's western approach. This includes Montreal–Toronto, Montreal–Ottawa, and connecting services on the Quebec City–Windsor route. VIA currently operates approximately 39 corridor trains daily across the full corridor; a significant portion of these stop at Dorval. The fleet is transitioning to new Siemens Venture trainsets powered by SCV-42 Charger locomotives, progressively replacing the legacy fleet of F40PH-2d and P42DC locomotives with HEP coaches. During the transition period, both old and new equipment may be seen.

Exo (Vaudreuil–Hudson Line / Line 11): The commuter service runs 13 inbound and 14 outbound trains on weekdays, with 15–20 minute headways during peak hours and roughly 2–3 hour gaps off-peak. Weekend service is significantly reduced (approximately every 5 hours). Trains consist of ALP-45DP or F59PHI diesel locomotives hauling 5–7 car consists of Bombardier MultiLevel double-deck coaches. Note: despite being dual-mode capable, the ALP-45DP units have operated exclusively in diesel mode since the permanent closure of the electrified Mount Royal Tunnel section in January 2020.

CN Railway: The Kingston Subdivision is one of CN's primary east-west freight arteries. Expect mixed manifest, intermodal double-stack, autorack, and occasional unit trains (potash, grain, crude). CN freight power typically features ES44AC and GE Tier 4 units in CN's red-and-black livery, sometimes with leased foreign power mixed in.

The best photography positions at Dorval take advantage of the station's open sightlines and east-west track orientation:

VIA Rail Platforms: The two side platforms offer trackside shooting at standard platform height. The west end of the platforms provides clear views of approaching trains from the Toronto/Ottawa direction, with afternoon sun backlighting eastbound consists. Morning light favours westbound departures.

Dorval Circle Interchange Overpasses: The road overpasses of the Dorval Circle interchange, which span over six railway lines, offer elevated vantage points for capturing the full width of the rail corridor and locomotive consist lengths. A 70–200mm lens covers most compositions from these positions.

Exo Platform Area: The Exo station platforms allow close-range shots of commuter trains during their scheduled stops—ideal for detail shots of locomotive number boards and MultiLevel coach livery. The bus terminal headhouse on the south side can be used to frame wider compositions.

General Tips: The east-west track alignment means morning sun favours shooting westbound trains from the south side, while afternoon light works for eastbound trains. On overcast days, any angle works. Keep a long lens ready for CN freight approaching from the west; the slight curvature of the tracks compresses distant locomotives nicely. For the best variety, position yourself where you can see both the CN/VIA tracks and the CP/Exo tracks simultaneously.

Rail service through Dorval dates to 1855, when the Grand Trunk Railway built its main line from Montreal to Toronto through the area. The railway's arrival transformed Dorval from a rural parish into a suburb, attracting wealthier Montreal families seeking summer homes along the rail corridor. The Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage, housed in the former coach house of the Forest and Stream Club built in 1874 by Alfred S. Brown—a storekeeper of the Grand Trunk Railroad Company and director of the Bank of Montreal—directly preserves this railway heritage.

The current rail corridor follows the original Grand Trunk alignment, now designated as CN's Kingston Subdivision. This 521 km (324 mi) line from Toronto Union Station to Dorval East remains Canada's busiest passenger rail corridor and a critical freight artery. Dorval effectively marks the eastern terminus of the Kingston Subdivision, where trains transition into CN's Montreal terminal trackage en route to Gare Centrale.

The station area gained strategic importance with the development of Dorval Airport (now Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport), creating one of Canada's early rail-to-air intermodal connections. The Dorval Circle interchange reconstruction project, completed in 2017 after years of delays, required building two overpass bridges spanning over six railway lines—a testament to the density of rail infrastructure in this corridor.

Dorval's defining advantage for railfans is the convergence of two major subdivisions—CN's Kingston Sub and CP's Vaudreuil Sub—within a single, publicly accessible station complex. This dual-corridor layout delivers three distinct classes of rail traffic: VIA Rail intercity service with Canada's newest Siemens Venture trainsets, Exo commuter push-pull consists with ALP-45DP and F59PHI power, and CN transcontinental freight including intermodal, manifest, and unit trains.

Few spots in eastern Canada match this variety within arm's reach of a safe platform. Add the bonus of aircraft on final approach to Trudeau Airport overhead, and Dorval becomes one of the Montreal region's top multi-modal observation points. The station's location alongside Autoroute 20 makes it easily reachable from anywhere on the island of Montreal, and the adjacent Exo bus terminal provides transit access for railfans arriving without a car.