Montreal-area public transit agency Exo cutting jobs amid sector-wide budget crunch

Montreal-area transit service Exo is cutting dozens of jobs and is warning of future service reductions as Quebec’s public transportation sector continues to struggle.

Exo’s 2026 budget includes cutting its workforce by about 11 per cent, or 73 jobs, as it reduces its overall budget by 0.4  per cent compared to the previous year.

The agency operates suburban trains and buses in the region and the chair of its board of directors admits its services could be affected by cuts in the future.

Pierre Fortin said this week that the agency can’t meet its target of reducing spending by $100 million by 2028 without eventually impacting services.

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Retired Université de Montréal urbanism professor Paul Lewis says transit agencies in the greater Montreal area have faced persistent budget shortfalls in recent years as operating costs have increased faster than revenue.

Montreal’s main transit agency, the Société de transport de Montréal, also announced earlier this month that it was cutting about 300 jobs as it unveiled its 2026 budget.