MONTREAL -- The transit agency Exo says it is losing $35,000 to $45,000 each weekday the Kahnawake blockade continues because of the 30-odd buses it has to rent daily to shuttle passengers to and from downtown Montreal.
That means the commuter rail service has lost up to $540,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, the 12th weekday of rail disruption.
Exo spokeswoman Catherine Maurice says a a shortage of buses and drivers in the Montreal area is adding to the difficulty.
She says the service is in contact with partners, including the provincial government and Montreal's regional transportation authority, over who will ultimately foot the bill.
Earlier Tuesday Canadian Pacific Railway obtained an injunction to end a blockade that began in early February in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, south of Montreal.
A spokeswoman for the court says the injunction was granted Tuesday by Quebec Superior Court Justice Michel A. Pinsonnault.
On Monday, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake had commended CP Rail and the Quebec government for its patience over the past two weeks and for avoiding seeking an injunction.
A spokesman for the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers wasn't immediately available today, but Chief Peacekeeper Dwayne Zacharie has previously said he would not enforce an injunction on his own people.
The blockaded line is used for freight traffic as well as commuter rail service between Montreal and several communities to the south, which was interrupted as of Feb. 10.
