Deux-Montagnes (also designated exo6 and formerly Red Line ) was an electrified commuter rail line in Greater Montreal , Quebec, Canada. It was owned by Exo , the organization that operates public transport services throughout the Montreal area.
104-562: The line was created in 1918 as a Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) service. Canadian National Railway (CN) ran the line starting in 1923 following the merger of CNoR into CN. CN transferred the Deux-Montagnes Line to the Société de transport de la communauté urbaine de Montréal (STCUM) on July 1, 1982. The line was refurbished from 1992 to 1995. It was transferred to the RTM 's predecessor agency,
208-736: A charter to build westward to the mouth of the Skeena River was alarmed, but in no hurry, because it believed the GTPR would choose one of the more northerly passes to cross the Canadian Rockies , leaving the Yellowhead Pass for the CNoR. Despite promptings, the GTP was unwilling to collaborate with the CNoR in any joint construction. In 1905, CNoR reached Edmonton , just as part of the old NWT had changed into
312-424: A computerized visual recognition system. On station platforms, emergency points are available with a telephone connected to the command centre, an emergency power supply cut-off switch and a fire extinguisher. The power supply system is segmented into short sections that can be independently powered, so that following an incident a single train can be stopped while the others reach the nearest station. In tunnels,
416-441: A condition for further funding, the government became the majority shareholder. On September 6, 1918, the directors, Mackenzie and Mann, resigned, replaced by a government-appointed board. Subsequently, CNoR executive David Blyth Hanna and his team managed not only CNoR operations but also the federally owned Canadian Government Railways (CGR). On December 20, 1918, a Privy Council order directed CNoR and CGR to be managed under
520-436: A line of horse-drawn cars started to operate on Craig (now St-Antoine ) and Notre-Dame streets. Eventually, as the city grew, a comprehensive network of streetcar lines provided service in most of the city. But urban congestion started to take its toll on streetcar punctuality, so the idea of an underground system was soon considered. In 1902, as European and American cities were inaugurating their first subway systems ,
624-597: A moratorium May 19, 1976, to the all-out expansion desired by Mayor Jean Drapeau . Tenders were frozen, including those of Line 2 (Orange Line) after the Snowdon station and those of Line 5 (Blue Line) whose works were yet already underway. A struggle then ensued between the MUC and the Government of Quebec as any extension could not be done without the agreement of both parties. The Montreal Transportation Office might have tried to put
728-602: A new government in Quebec rejected the project, replacing the Metro lines by commuter train lines in its own 1988 transport plan. Yet the provincial elections of 1989 approaching, the Line 7 (White Line) project reappeared and the extensions of Line 5 (Blue Line) to Anjou ( Pie-IX , Viau , Lacordaire , Langelier and Galeries d'Anjou ) and Line 2 (Orange Line) northward ( Deguire / Poirier , Bois-Franc and Salaberry ) were announced. At
832-558: A number and updated colour. The Deux-Montagnes line became Exo 6, and the blue line colour was updated to a light peach colour. To ease overcrowding and attract new users on the Deux-Montagnes Line, the ARTM planned several projects: Under the Réseau express métropolitain project, the Deux-Montagnes line is being converted to driverless light metro operation and extended past Downtown and over
936-413: A raised path at trains level facilitates evacuation and allows people movement without walking on the tracks. Every 15 meters, directions are indicated by illuminated green signs. Every 150 meters, emergency stations with telephones, power switches and fire hoses can be found. At the ventilation shafts locations in the old tunnels or every 750 meters in recent tunnels sections (Laval), emergency exits reach
1040-662: A reader. Since 2015, customers have been able to purchase an Opus card reader to recharge their personal card online from a computer. As of April 2024, the ARTM added an option to recharge an Opus card directly from the Chrono mobile app. In 2016, the STM is developing a smart phone application featuring NFC technology, which could replace the Opus card. Metro stations are equipped with MétroVision information screens displaying advertising, news headlines from
1144-503: A single subway line reusing the 1944 plans and extending it all the way to Boulevard Crémazie , right by the D'Youville maintenance shops . By this point, construction was already well underway on Canada's first subway line in Toronto under Yonge Street , which would open in 1954. Still, Montreal councillors remained cautious and no work was initiated. For some of them, including Jean Drapeau during his first municipal term, public transit
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#17330856434681248-483: A station out of the way on Moreau Street in Hochelaga . In 1910, it was decided that the best way for Canadian Northern to get downtown was to drill their way downtown — through Mont Royal . The construction started at both ends and met halfway through with only an inch difference. In 1918 the electrified (2400 V DC catenary ), double-track 3.2 mi (5.15 km) tunnel was dubbed Montreal's first subway. Because
1352-532: A subway remained present in the newspapers but World War I and the following recession prevented any execution. The gradual return to financial health during the 1920s brought the MTC project back and attracted support from the premier of Quebec . This new attempt was stalled by the Great Depression , which saw the city's streetcar ridership atrophy. A subway proposal was next made by Mayor Camillien Houde in 1939 as
1456-453: A trans-Pacific service were mothballed. In 1914, to develop a resort on Grand Beach , CNoR bought a 150-acre (0.61 km ) homestead north of Winnipeg on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, By 1914, with the company's financial predicament threatening the solvency of its major financier, the Bank of Commerce , the CNoR appealed for government help. The last spike of the CNoR transcontinental railway
1560-475: A way to provide work for the jobless masses. World War II and the war effort in Montreal resurrected the idea of a metro. In 1944, the MTC proposed a two-line network, with one line running underneath Saint Catherine Street and the other under Saint Denis , Notre-Dame and Saint Jacques Streets. In 1953, the newly formed public Montreal Transportation Commission replaced streetcars with buses and proposed
1664-538: Is Georges-Vanier , with 773,078 entries in 2011. The network operations funding (maintenance, equipment purchase and salaries) is provided by the STM. Tickets and subscriptions cover only 40% of the actual operational costs, with the shortfall offset by the urban agglomeration of Montreal (28%), the Montreal Metropolitan Community (5%) and the Government of Quebec (23%). The STM does not keep separate accounts for Metro and buses services, therefore
1768-483: Is covered by the federal government. Small investments to maintain the network in working order remain entirely the responsibility of the STM. Montreal Metro facilities are patrolled daily by 155 STM inspectors and 115 agents of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) assigned to the subway. They are in contact with the command centre of the Metro which has 2,000 cameras distributed on the network, coupled with
1872-486: Is not uncommon for travellers in these sections to let several trains pass before being able to board. Conditions at these stations worsen in summer because of the lack of air conditioning and heat generated by the trains. In 2014, the five most popular stations (in millions of inbound travellers) were Berri–UQAM (12.8), McGill (11.1), Bonaventure (8.1), Guy–Concordia (8.1) and Côte-Vertu (7.6); all of these but Côte-Vertu are located downtown. The least busy station
1976-556: Is scheduled to be completed in 2030. Initial construction work began in August 2022. In 2017, Valérie Plante proposed the Pink Line as part of her campaign for the office of Mayor of Montreal. The new route would have 29 stations and would primarily northeastern Montreal with the downtown areas, as well as the western end of NDG and Lachine. The project has since been added to Quebec's 10-year infrastructure plan, and feasibility studies for
2080-644: The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), mandated to manage and integrate road transport and public transportation in Greater Montreal; and the Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM, publicly known as exo), which took over all operations from the former Agence métropolitaine de transport. RTM now operates Montreal's commuter rail and metropolitan bus services, and is the second busiest such system in Canada after Toronto 's GO Transit . Announced in 1998 by
2184-719: The Canadian federal government created the Montreal Subway Company to promote the idea in Canada. Starting in 1910, many proposals were tabled but the Montreal Metro would prove to be an elusive goal. The Montreal Street Railway Company , the Montreal Central Terminal Company and the Montreal Underground and Elevated Railway Company all undertook fruitless negotiations with the city. A year later,
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#17330856434682288-534: The De Maisonneuve Boulevard . It would extend between the English-speaking west at Atwater station and French-speaking east at Frontenac . Line 2 ( Orange Line ) was to run from north of the downtown, from Crémazie station through various residential neighbourhoods to the business district at Place-d'Armes station . Construction of the first two lines began May 23, 1962, under the supervision of
2392-464: The Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway , forms part of a key CN connection between Chicago and Winnipeg . Montreal Metro The Montreal Metro ( French : Métro de Montréal ) is a rubber-tired underground rapid transit system serving Greater Montreal , Quebec, Canada. The metro, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was inaugurated on October 14, 1966, during
2496-563: The Island of Montreal . After being awarded, in May 1970, the 1976 Summer Olympics , a loan of $ 430 million ($ 2.7 billion in 2016) was approved by the MUC on February 12, 1971, to fund the extensions of Line 1 (Green Line) and Line 2 (Orange Line) and the construction of a transverse line: Line 5 (Blue Line) . The Government of Quebec agreed to bear 60% of the costs. The work on the extensions started October 14, 1971, with Line 1 (Green Line) towards
2600-471: The Mount Royal Tunnel project. CNoR was heavily indebted to banks and governments, and its profitable branchlines in the prairie provinces — "Canada's breadbasket" — would not generate enough revenue to cover construction costs in other areas. Unable to meet its debts, the company became desperate for financial aid. In 1917, the federal government effectively took control of the company. As
2704-593: The North Shore at Deux-Montagnes , was completely renovated in the early 1990s and effectively replaced the planned third line. The next line would thus be numbered 5 (Blue Line) . Subsequently, elements of the line, particularly the Deux-Montagnes commuter train, became the first line of the Réseau Express Métropolitain . The Montreal municipal administration asked municipalities of the South Shore of
2808-608: The RDI , and MétéoMédia weather information, as well as STM-specific information regarding service changes, service delays and other information about using the system. By the end of 2014, the STM had installed screens in all 68 stations. Berri–UQAM station was the first station to have these screens installed. Montreal Metro ridership has more than doubled since it opened: the number of passengers increased from 136 million in 1967 to 357 million in 2014. Montreal has one of North America's busiest public transportation systems with, after New York,
2912-556: The Saint Lawrence River which one would be interested in the Metro and Longueuil got the link. Line 4 (Yellow Line) would therefore pass under the river, from Berri-de-Montigny station , junction of Line 1 (Green Line) and Line 2 (Orange Line) , to Longueuil . A stop was added in between to access the site of Expo 67, built on two islands of the Hochelaga Archipelago in the river. Saint Helen's Island , on which
3016-555: The Snowdon) station in 1988. Because it was not crowded, the STCUM at first operated Line 5 (Blue Line) weekdays only from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm and was circulating only three-car trains instead of the nine car trains in use along the other lines. Students from the University of Montreal , the main source of customers, obtained extension of the closing time to 11:10 pm and then 0:15 am in 2002. In
3120-562: The Western world experienced an economic boom and Quebec underwent its Quiet Revolution . From August 1, 1960, many municipal services reviewed the project and on November 3, 1961, the Montreal City Council voted appropriations amounting to $ 132 million ($ 1.06 billion in 2016) to construct and equip an initial network 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) in length. The 1961 plan reused several previous studies and planned three lines carved into
3224-597: The réseau express métropolitain (REM), scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2023. The fares for Exo, the REM and the Metro for zone A are only valid on the island of Montreal. In order to take the Exo, REM or Metro trains from Montreal to Laval (zone B), you must have the corresponding fares for that zone; for example, an all modes AB fare. Fare payment is via a barrier system accepting magnetic tickets and RFID -like contactless cards. A rechargeable contactless smart card called Opus
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3328-426: The $ 292 million operating costs, before electricity costs (9%). Heavy investment (network extensions) is entirely funded by the provincial government. Renovations and service improvements are subsidized up to 100% by the Government of Canada, the province and the urban agglomeration. For example, 74% of the rolling stock replacement cost is paid for by Quebec while 33% of the bill for upgrades to ventilation structures
3432-476: The 1890s and 1900s had been relatively frugal, largely by acquiring bankrupt companies or finishing failed construction projects. By the 1910s, significant expenses were accumulating. The CNoR started construction west of Edmonton in 1910, fully two years later than GTPR. The construction through the Rockies, which was expensive, largely paralleled the GTPR line of 1911, creating about 100 miles of duplication. However,
3536-558: The 1890s, they reached Swan River , and continued building north between the Porcupine Hills to the west and Lake Winnipegosis to the east. In 1900, Mackenzie and Mann directed this northern line west into the Northwest Territories (later Saskatchewan ), where it eventually terminated at E.R. Wood (later Erwood ). This northwestern line mainly carried lumber and was extended to Melfort between 1903 and 1905. In 1907,
3640-526: The AMT flexibility for scheduling trains and allows it to save rent money in the long term. On June 1, 2017, the AMT was dissolved and replaced by two new governing bodies, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) and the Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM). The RTM took over all former AMT services, including this line. In May 2018, the RTM formally re-branded itself as Exo; and renamed each line with
3744-539: The Agence Métropolitaine de transport (AMT) on January 1, 1996. The RTM assumed current operation of the line upon its establishment on June 1, 2017. The RTM rebranded its commuter services "exo" in 2018. On May 11, 2020, service between Bois-Franc and Montreal Central Station was closed due to the construction of Réseau express métropolitain (REM). On December 31, 2020, the Deux-Montagnes line closed permanently in favour of REM service which will operate along
3848-563: The Canadian Parliament pressured Mackenzie and Mann to continue building more rail towards Hudson Bay. In that year, they created a junction on the Erwood to Melfort line near the mouth of the Etoimami river, where Fort Red Deer River existed, and a line was extended north to The Pas . By 1910, the settlement at this junction was renamed Hudson Bay Junction , and the line was completed between
3952-695: The Comptoir Financier Franco-Canadien and the Montreal Tunnel Company proposed tunnels under the city centre and the Saint-Lawrence River to link the emerging South Shore neighbourhoods but faced the opposition of railway companies. The Montreal Tramways Company (MTC) was the first to receive the approval of the provincial government in 1913 and four years to start construction. The reluctance of elected city officials to advance funds foiled this first attempt. The issue of
4056-472: The Deux-Montagnes line would be converted from commuter rail to automated light metro in 2020, as part of the Réseau express métropolitain network. The Deux-Montagnes line was built by the Canadian Northern Railway . While other railways including Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Railway already had prime downtown locations for their terminal stations, Canadian Northern did not, having only
4160-508: The Deux-Montagnes line. All of these stations have been refurbished for Réseau express métropolitain service following the Deux-Montagnes line's closure. The Deux-Montagnes line used the former CN Deux-Montagnes Subdivision between mile 0.8 (Central Station) and 19.4 (Deux-Montagnes). The RTM now owns it. The line ran through the Mount Royal Tunnel , to connect downtown Montreal, to the north side rail subdivision. Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway ( CNoR )
4264-514: The Director of Public Works, Lucien L'Allier. On June 11, 1963, the construction costs for tunnels being lower than expected, Line 2 (Orange Line) was extended by two stations at each end and the new termini became the Henri-Bourassa and Bonaventure stations. The project, which employed more than 5,000 workers at its height, and cost the lives of 12 of them, ended on October 14, 1966. The service
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4368-563: The Government of Quebec created a supra-municipal agency, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), whose mandate is to coordinate the development of transport throughout the Greater Montreal area. The AMT was responsible, among others, for the development of the Metro and suburban trains. On June 1, 2017, the AMT was disbanded and replaced by two distinct agencies by the Loi 76 (English: Law 76),
4472-571: The Parisian influence - as the rubber tired trains could use steeper grades and accelerate faster. 80% of the tunnels were built through rock, as opposed to the traditional cut-and-cover method used for the construction of the Yonge Subway in Toronto. The main line, or Line 1 ( Green Line ) was to pass between the two most important arteries, Saint Catherine and Sherbrooke streets, more or less under
4576-408: The RTM and are operated by Bombardier Transportation . Deux-Montagnes , Roxboro-Pierrefonds , and Central Station were wheelchair-accessible. In 2016, an average of 30,700 people rode this train daily, having almost as many passengers as Montreal's four other commuter railway lines combined. There were 25 inbound and 24 outbound departures each weekday. On April 22, 2016, it was announced that
4680-596: The STCUM, the project to extend Line 2 (Orange) past the Henri-Bourassa terminus to the city of Laval , passing under the Rivière des Prairies , was launched March 18, 2002. The extension was decided and funded by the Government of Quebec. The AMT received the mandate of its implementation but the ownership and operation of the line stayed with the Société de transport de Montréal (STCUM successor). The work completed, opening to
4784-656: The Skeena, the CNoR accepted BC government subsidies to switch to the Vancouver area. When the GTPR selected the Yellowhead route, CNoR protests created some delay but could not overturn he decision. In 1911, CNoR workers started on a townsite named Port Mann on the Fraser River. This townsite would accommodate new car shops, and from there, rail-lines would extend to Vancouver and the Fraser River delta. CNoR's initial expansion in
4888-493: The St-Lawrence to Brossard; two southwest branches will also be added, to Montreal-Pierre Eliott Trudeau International Airport and to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. To prepare for the project, service between Bois-Franc and Central Station was ended on May 11, 2020. On December 31, 2020, the rest of the Deux-Montagnes line closed permanently in favour of REM service which will operate along the same route. The following stations were on
4992-563: The Stony Plain line meant frequent crossings over the Grand Trunk Pacific line which had been laid in the meantime. Instead CNoR decided to leave Edmonton through St. Albert. (A bump on 124th Street near Stony Plain Road is remnant of the constructed but abandoned road-bed.) CNoR's terminus on the coast changed over time. Rather than competing with the GTPR in having a terminal at the mouth of
5096-422: The Toronto – Parry Sound line to Ottawa and on to Montreal . In 1910 a direct Toronto–Montreal line was built. In 1911, federal funding enabled construction of the line Montreal – Ottawa – Capreol – Port Arthur. In 1912, with GTR and CPR holding the ideal southern routes around Mount Royal to downtown Montreal, CNoR started building a double-tracked mainline north by excavating the Mount Royal Tunnel . In 1910
5200-544: The U.S. border at Pembina, North Dakota , and east to Ontario . The Canadian Northern Railway was established, on January 13, 1899 and all railway companies owned by Mackenzie and Mann (primarily in Manitoba) were consolidated into the new entity. CNoR's first step toward competing directly with CPR came at the start of the 20th century with the decision to build a line linking the Prairie Provinces with Lake Superior at
5304-631: The Yellow Line, which continues to Longueuil . Metro service starts at 05:30, and the last trains start their run between 00:30 and 01:00 on weekdays and Sunday, and between 01:00 and 01:30 on Saturday. During rush hour, there are two to four minutes between trains on the Orange and Green Lines . The frequency decreases to 12 minutes during late nights. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) operates Metro and bus services in Montreal, and transfers between
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#17330856434685408-599: The acquisition of branchlines in southwestern Nova Scotia (the Halifax and Southwestern Railway ) and western Cape Breton Island (the Inverness and Richmond Railway ). Other acquisitions were in southern Ontario and a connecting line was built from Toronto to Parry Sound . In 1908, a line, which under later CN ownership was known as the Alderdale Subdivision , was built east from a connection at Capreol, Ontario , on
5512-403: The beginning of the 1990s, there was a significant deficit in public finances across Canada, especially in Quebec, and an economic recession. Metro ridership decreased and the Government of Quebec removed subsidies for the operation of urban public transport. Faced with this situation, the extensions projects were put on hold and the MUC prioritized the renovation of its infrastructures. In 1996,
5616-689: The company entered the trans-Atlantic liner business with the founding of the Canadian Northern Steamship Company. The subsidiary acquired two liners from the Egyptian Mail Steamship Company and operated them under its Royal Line brand. The pair of ships were renamed upon purchase— Cairo became Royal Edward and Heliopolis became Royal George —and refitted for travel on the North Atlantic. In Royal Line service, Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth to Montreal in
5720-423: The connection to Port Arthur. From a series of disconnected railways and charters, the network became 1,200 miles of profitable and continuous track that covered most of the prairies by 1902. After receiving grants from the Province of Manitoba and the Dominion of Canada in the 1890s, Mackenzie and Mann began building lines further north in Manitoba, with the intention of eventually reaching Hudson Bay . Throughout
5824-426: The east to reach the site where the Olympic Stadium was to be built and Autoroute 25 ( Honoré-Beaugrand station) that could serve as a transfer point for visitors arriving from outside. The extensions were an opportunity to make improvements to the network, such as new trains, larger stations and even semi-automatic control. The first extension was completed in June 1976 just before the Olympics. Line 1 (Green Line)
5928-444: The end of 2013, when the new line also was commissioned. On February 28, 2014, the AMT announced that it had purchased the Deux-Montagnes line from CN for a sum of $ 92 million. While CN owned the line, freight trains could use it within two time windows: during the day from 08:30 to 15:30 and during the night from 20:30 to 05:30. Purchasing the line allowed AMT to give commuter trains priority all day, between 05:30 and 20:30. This gave
6032-456: The equipment ageing, and ridership declining, CN wanted to close the line in the 1970s, but their proposals were rejected. The Quebec Ministry of Transport considered using the line for a high-speed connection to Mirabel Airport (Transport rapide régional aéroportuaire Montréal Mirabel, 1974) or as the first line of a BART -style regional metro system (Réseau express de Montréal, 1977; Métro régional, 1979). None of these projects progressed beyond
6136-450: The first phase of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) opened between Gare Centrale and Brossard . The system is independent of, but connects to and hence complements, the Metro. Built by CDPQ Infra , part of the Quebec pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec , the line will eventually run north-south across Montreal, with interchanges with the Metro at Gare Centrale (Bonaventure), McGill and Édouard-Montpetit. Following
6240-426: The following figures include both activities. In 2016, direct operating revenue planned by the STM totalled $ 667 million. To compensate for the reduced rates, the city will pay $ 513 million plus $ 351 million from Quebec. For a budget of $ 1.53 billion, salaries account for 57% of expenditures, followed in importance by financial expenses (22%) resulting from a 2.85 billion debt. For the Metro only, wages represented 75% of
6344-572: The government in front of a fait accompli by awarding large contracts to build the tunnel between Namur station and the Bois-Franc station just before the moratorium was in force. In 1977, the newly elected government partially lifted the moratorium on the extension of Line 2 (Orange Line) and the construction of Line 5 (Blue Line) . In 1978, the STCUM proposed a map which includes a western extension of Line 5 (Blue Line) that includes stations in N.D.G., Montreal West, Ville St. Pierre, Lachine, LaSalle, and potentially beyond. Line 2 (Orange Line)
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#17330856434686448-400: The government preferred the option of converting existing railway lines to overground Metro ones. The mayors of the MUC, initially reluctant, accepted this plan when Quebec promised in February 1981 to finance future extensions fully. The moratorium was then modestly lifted on Line 2 (Orange Line) that reached Du Collège station in 1984 and finally Côte-Vertu station in 1986. This line took
6552-491: The harbour in Port Arthur - Fort William (modern Thunder Bay , Ontario), which would permit the shipping of western grain to European markets as well as the transport of eastern Canadian goods to the West. This line incorporated an existing CNoR line to Lake of the Woods and two local Ontario railways, the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway and the Ontario and Rainy River Railway , whose charters Mackenzie and Mann had acquired in 1897. To reach Port Arthur, which became
6656-425: The junction and The Pas. The long section of rail between The Pas and Churchill was never completed by CNoR. However, after CNoR was acquired by CN , the line was completed in 1929. (see Hudson Bay Railway ) Once elected in 1896, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier was eager for a second transcontinental. However, an expansion of the non- CPR railways west of Alberta would be a mammoth questionable gamble for
6760-479: The lake terminus of the CNoR, the line extended south of Lake of the Woods into northern Minnesota before heading northeast through Rainy River District to the head of navigation on the Great Lakes . The Winnipeg-Port Arthur line was completed on December 30, 1901, with the last spike being driven just east of Atikokan station by Ontario's Commissioner of Crown Lands , Elihu Davis . Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Mann expanded their prairie branch line operations to feed
6864-463: The largest costs were from building on "the wrong side" of the Thompson and Fraser rivers in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. CPR already had trackage on the desirable banks, forcing the CNoR to blast tunnels and ledges out of these canyons. The most infamous construction folly on the CNoR in British Columbia happened in 1913, when blasting for a passage for the railway at Hells Gate triggered an enormous landslide which partially blocked
6968-408: The largest number of users compared to its population. However, this growth was not continuous: in the late 1960s and early 1990s, ridership declined during some periods. From 1996 to 2015, the number of passengers grew. Today, portions of the busiest lines, such as Line 1 between Berri–UQAM and McGill stations and Line 2 between Jean-Talon and Champ-de-Mars, experience overcrowding during peak hours. It
7072-509: The late 1980s, the original network length had nearly quadrupled in twenty years and exceeded that of Toronto, but the plans did not stop there. In its 1983–1984 scenario, the MUC planned a new underground Metro Line 7 (White Line) ( Pie-IX station to Montréal-Nord ) and several surface lines numbered Line 6 ( Du College station to Repentigny ), Line 8 ( Radisson station to Pointe-aux-Trembles ), Line 10 ( Vendome station to Lachine ) and Line 11 ( Angrignon terminus to LaSalle ). In 1985,
7176-432: The line's western section began in June 2021. The Montreal Metro consists of four lines, which are usually identified by their colour or terminus station. The terminus station in the direction of travel is used to differentiate between directions. The Yellow Line is the shortest line, with three stations, built for Expo 67 . Metro lines that leave the Île de Montréal are the Orange Line, which continues to Laval, and
7280-400: The long-standing East Junction level crossing, CN built a railway overpass to route its Saint-Laurent subdivision over the commuter train line just south of Montpellier station . The overpass was a prerequisite for increasing commuter train frequencies on the Deux-Montagnes line as well as the commissioning of the Mascouche line . The $ 60 million project was begun in 2010 and was completed by
7384-531: The name Canadian National Railway (CNR) as a means to simplify funding and operations, but CNoR and CGR would not formally merge and cease corporate existence until January 20, 1923, the date Parliament passed the final act to incorporate CNR. Significant portions of the old CNoR system survive under CN (as the CNR has been known since 1960); for example: The majority of CN's former CNoR branchline network across Canada has either been abandoned or sold to shortline operators. An important U.S. subsidiary of CNoR,
7488-450: The narrow swift-flowing Fraser River. The resulting damage to Pacific salmon runs took decades to reverse by the governmental construction of fishways . Mackenzie and Mann began their first significant expansion outside of the prairies with the purchase of Great Lakes steamships, the Quebec and Lake St-John Railway [ fr ] (1906) into northern Quebec 's Saguenay region and
7592-464: The older MR-63 trains. Tunnels are being repaired and several stations, including Berri–UQAM , have been several years in rehabilitation. Many electrical and ventilation structures on the surface are in 2016 completely rebuilt to modern standards. In 2020, work to install cellular coverage in the Metro was completed. Station accessibility has also been improved, with over 26 of the 68 stations having elevators installed since 2007. In August 2023,
7696-470: The opening of Line 5 ( Blue ) in the 1980s, various governments have proposed extending the line east to Anjou . In 2013, a proposal to extend the line to Anjou was announced by the STM and the Quebec government. On April 9, 2018, premier of Quebec Philippe Couillard and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced their commitment to fund and complete the extension, then planned to open in 2026. In March 2022, it
7800-522: The operators. Adding an equally costly route to supplement the existing uneconomical CP track through Ontario seemed more ludicrous. At the time, the CNoR planned to advance no further west than Edmonton. In 1902, the GTR held talks with Laurier and agreed to build a transcontinental under the auspices of the GTPR for the western portion, with the eastern portion built by the government-owned NTR . The CNoR, which had
7904-485: The planning stage. In 1982, management of commuter trains was transferred to the publicly owned Montreal Urban Community Transit Commission (STCUM). The STCUM set fares and schedules, while the Canadian National retained ownership of the equipment (passenger cars and locomotives). CN continued to provide the tracks, stations, storage, maintenance, and train crews needed to keep the line running. For Montreal commuters,
8008-423: The project, Canadian Northern built a ‘model city’ north of the tunnel, modeled after Washington, D.C. The Town of Mount-Royal has grown to be an upper-income neighbourhood today. Construction began in 1912 and finished in 1918. The first train was pulled by electric locomotive #601 (retired as #6711), which left Tunnel Terminal at 8:30 a.m. on October 21, 1918. The Canadian Northern Railway went bankrupt and
8112-481: The province of Alberta . The rail-line crossed the North Saskatchewan River at Fort Saskatchewan, coming into Edmonton from the northeast, following the present-day LRT track. After a pause, the CNoR began construction west from Edmonton, and by summer 1907 had gone as far as Stony Plain. A stock market crash that year ceased construction. When construction was resumed in 1910, it was found that extending
8216-519: The public happened April 28, 2007. This extension added 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) to the network and three stations in Laval ( Cartier , De la Concorde and Montmorency). As of 2009, ridership increased by 60,000 a day with these new stations. Since 2004, most of the STM's investments have been directed to rolling stock and infrastructure renovation programs. New trains ( MPM-10 ) have been delivered, replacing
8320-483: The rock under the city centre to the most populated areas of the city. The City of Montreal (and its chief engineer Lucien L'Allier ) were assisted in the detailed design and engineering of the Metro by French consultant SOFRETU , owned by the operator of the Paris Métro . The French influence is clearly seen in the station design and rolling stock of the Metro. Rubber tires were chosen instead of steel ones, following
8424-424: The same route. This line linked Central Station in downtown Montreal with Deux-Montagnes to the northwest of the Island of Montreal . The line offered frequent service during rush hours (10–30 minute intervals) and hourly service outside rush hours on weekdays. From April 27, 2018, weekend service on the line had been shut down. Prior, there was hourly service on weekends. The trains were owned and managed by
8528-499: The shape of an "U" linking the north of the island to the city centre and serving two very populous axes. The various moratoriums and technical difficulties encountered during the construction of the fourth line stretched the project over fourteen years. Line 5 (Blue Line) , which runs through the centre of the island of Montreal , crossed the east branch of Line 2 (Orange Line) at the Jean-Talon station in 1986 and its west branch at
8632-673: The sponsorship of the provincial government, which sought to subsidize local competition to the federally subsidized CPR; however, significant competition was also provided by the encroaching Northern Pacific Railway (NPR) from the south. Two branchline contractors, Sir William Mackenzie and Sir Donald Mann , took control of the bankrupt Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company in January, 1896. The partners expanded their enterprise, in 1897, by building further north into Manitoba's Interlake district as well as east and west of Winnipeg . They also began building and buying lines south to connect with
8736-450: The station of the same name was built, was massively enlarged and consolidated with several nearby islands (including Ronde Island) using backfill excavated during the construction of the Metro. Notre Dame Island , adjacent, was created from scratch with the same material. Line 4 (Yellow Line) was completed on April 1, 1967, in time for the opening of the World's Fair. The first Metro network
8840-611: The summer months and to Halifax in the winter months. At the outbreak of World War I , Royal Edward and Royal George were both requisitioned for use as troopships. On August 13, 1915, the German submarine UB-14 sank Royal Edward , which was transporting troops from Avonmouth to Gallipoli . Royal George was sold to Cunard in 1916, became an emigrant ship in Cherbourg by 1920 and scrapped in 1922 in Wilhelmshaven . Plans for
8944-620: The tenure of Mayor Jean Drapeau . It has expanded since its opening from 22 stations on two lines to 68 stations on four lines totalling 69.2 kilometres (43.0 mi) in length, serving the north, east and centre of the Island of Montreal with connections to Longueuil , via the Yellow Line , and Laval , via the Orange Line . The Montreal Metro is Canada's busiest rapid transit system in terms of daily ridership, delivering an average of 1,009,600 daily unlinked passenger trips per weekday as of
9048-550: The third quarter of 2024. It is North America's third busiest rapid transit system, behind the New York City Subway and Mexico City Metro . In 2023, 303,969,500 trips on the Metro were completed. With the Metro and the newer driverless, steel-wheeled Réseau express métropolitain , Montreal has one of North America's largest urban rapid transit systems, attracting the second-highest ridership per capita behind New York City . Urban transit began in Montreal in 1861 when
9152-568: The time, and a 1967 study, "Horizon 2000", imagined a network of 160 kilometres (99 mi) of tunnels for the year 2000. In 1970, the Montreal Urban Community (MUC) was created. This group was made of municipalities that occupy the Island of Montreal and the city of Montreal was the biggest participant. MUC's mission was to provide standardized services at a regional level, one of them being transportation. The MUC Transportation Commission
9256-541: The transfer of ownership was positive because the trains were integrated into the bus and metro system. In 1992, the government of Quebec announced a modernisation plan for the line which would include electrifying the entire line at 25 kV AC (and converting the existing catenary in the Mont-Royal Tunnel to this voltage), 58 state-of-the-art MR-90 electric multiple unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation , new tracks, and centralised traffic control . Service
9360-514: The tunnel is on a steep grade and inadequately ventilated it was decided from the very beginning that the locomotives would be electric. The ventilation shaft is located SW of the intersection of Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard and Vincent-d'Indy Avenue very close to the Édouard-Montpetit Metro Station . The structure gauge of the Mount Royal Tunnel limits the height of bilevel cars to 14 ft 6 in or 4.42 m. In order to finance
9464-569: The two are free inside a 120-minute time frame after the first validation. On July 1, 2022, the ARTM reorganized its fare system into 4 zones: A, B, C, and D. The island of Montreal was placed in zone A and fares for zones B, C and D can be bought separately or together. The Metro fares are fully integrated with the Exo commuter rail system, which links the metropolitan area to the outer suburbs via six interchange stations ( Bonaventure , Lucien-L'Allier , Vendôme , De la Concorde , Sauvé , and Parc ) and
9568-595: Was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway . At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway ( reporting mark CN ), the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa , Winnipeg , and Edmonton . The network had its start in the independent branchlines that were being constructed in Manitoba in the 1880s and 1890s as a response to the monopoly exercised by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Many such lines were built with
9672-526: Was a thing of the past. In 1959, a private company, the Société d'expansion métropolitaine, offered to build a rubber-tired metro but the Transportation Commission wanted its own network and rejected the offer. This would be the last missed opportunity, for the re-election of Jean Drapeau as mayor and the arrival of his right-hand man, Lucien Saulnier , would prove decisive. In the early 1960s ,
9776-455: Was absorbed into what is now Canadian National . Tunnel Terminal was replaced by Central Station in 1943. CN added electric multiple units from Canadian Car and Foundry in 1952. In the 1960s, the first plans were announced to renovate the line, whose equipment was 40 years old at the time. First, it was to become metro line 3 (red) , but plans were shelved because of the importance to build line 4 (yellow) for service to Expo 67 . With
9880-453: Was announced that the federal government had agreed to provide $ 1.3 billion to the extension, with further costs to be covered by the provincial government. The 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) extension will include five new stations, two bus terminals, a pedestrian tunnel connecting to the Pie-IX BRT and a new park-and-ride. Overall, the project is estimated to cost around $ 5.8 to $ 6.4 billion and
9984-462: Was chosen in November 1962 to hold the 1967 Universal Exposition ( Expo 67 ). Having to make a choice, the city decided that a number 4 line (Yellow Line) linking Montreal to the South Shore suburbs following a plan similar to those proposed early in the 20th century was more necessary. Line 3 was never built and the number was never used again. The railway, already used for a commuter train to
10088-460: Was completed with the public opening of Line 4 (Yellow Line) on April 28, 1967. The cities of Montreal , Longueuil and Westmount had assumed the entire cost of construction and equipment of $ 213.7 million ($ 1.6 billion in 2016). Montreal became the seventh city in North America to operate a subway. The 1960s being very optimistic years, Metro planning did not escape the general exuberance of
10192-494: Was driven January 23, 1915, at Basque, British Columbia , with Montreal-Vancouver freight and passenger services commencing six months later, and providing a rail network in Nova Scotia, Southern Ontario, Minnesota, and on Vancouver Island . Between 1915 and 1918, CNoR tried desperately to increase profits, but CPR garnered the majority of wartime traffic. The company was also saddled with ongoing construction costs associated with
10296-420: Was gradually extended westward to Place-Saint-Henri station in 1980 and to Snowdon station in 1981. As the stations were completed, the service was extended. In December 1979 Quebec presented its "integrated transport plan" in which Line 2 (Orange Line) was to be tunnelled to Du Collège station and Line 5 (Blue Line) from Snowdon station to Anjou station. The plan proposed no other underground lines as
10400-452: Was later extended to the southwest to reach the suburbs of Verdun and LaSalle with the Angrignon as the terminus station, named after the park and zoo. This segment opened at September 1978. In the process, further extensions were planned and in 1975 spending was expected to reach reached $ 1.6 billion ($ 7.3 billion in 2016). Faced with these soaring costs, the Government of Quebec declared
10504-519: Was opened gradually between October 1966 and April 1967 as the stations were completed. A third line was planned. It was to use Canadian National Railway (CN) tracks passing under the Mount Royal to reach the northwest suburb of Cartierville from the city centre. Unlike the previous two lines, trains were to be partly running above ground. Negotiations with the CN and municipalities were stalling as Montreal
10608-480: Was shut down completely in the summers of 1993, 1994 and 1995 to allow for major work to be done. The last of the old rolling stock left Central Station at 6:30 p.m. on June 2, 1995 – 76 years, 8 months, 11 days, and ten hours after it first went into service. The same locomotive, #6711 (with #6710 (pictured)), hauled the last train through the tunnel. The line was transferred to the former Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) on January 1, 1996. Eliminating
10712-404: Was thus created at the same time to serve as prime contractor for the Metro extensions. It merged all island transport companies and became the Société de transport de la communauté urbaine de Montréal (STCUM) in 1985 and then the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) in 2002. The success of the Metro increased the pressure to extend the network to other populated areas, including the suburbs on
10816-513: Was unveiled on April 21, 2008; it provides seamless integration with other transit networks of neighbouring cities by being capable of holding multiple transport tickets: tickets, books or subscriptions, a subscription for Montreal only and commuter train tickets. Moreover, unlike the magnetic stripe cards , which had been sold alongside the new Opus cards up until May 2009, the contactless cards are not at risk of becoming demagnetized and rendered useless and do not require patrons to slide them through
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