Four days after the emergency closure of the Saint-Michel, D’Iberville and Fabre metro stations on the blue line, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is adjusting its shuttle route. A new route will “significantly reduce travel time”, starting Monday, says the carrier.
At least that’s what we learn in a press release published at the start of the day, in which we immediately reiterate that a bus service cannot “completely replace the capacity and reliability of the metro”.
With a more direct route and stops located closer to the stations, the STM says it has established a new path “which will significantly reduce travel time thanks to a police presence at key locations and the collaboration of the City of Montreal and affected districts”.
So far, towards the east, the route began in Bélanger, then it took the axes Papineau, Saint-Zotique, Bélanger again and Saint-Michel. From now on, he will only take Bélanger, Papineau and Jean-Talon. Same in the opposite direction, towards the west.
It is estimated that it will take an average of 15 minutes east and 20 minutes west. The delay will be longer towards the west due to the presence of certain construction sites. By metro, the same journey takes approximately four minutes.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE STM
The shuttle route between Jean-Talon and Saint-Michel
Buses will continue to be in service from the opening to the closing of the metro, with a passage every 5 to 7 minutes, on average. However, the service and frequency are “adjusted in real time on the ground in order to deploy the vehicles optimally,” reiterates the carrier.
The latter did not want to comment further on an upcoming reopening of the three stations, limiting himself to saying that he will be “able to take stock of the situation as soon as the expert assessments are finalized” . This should come in about two or three days, according to our information.
160,000 users affected
Mayor Valérie Plante had also been cautious in the morning a few tens of minutes earlier, on Radio-Canada. “We invite people to continue to take the blue line,” however maintained Mme Plante, recalling that the affected section serves around 160,000 people per week.
For the moment, we know that it was the “significant deterioration” of a beam above the footbridge at Saint-Michel station which led to this interruption of service of indefinite duration.
The de-icing salt used in winter for years would have caused premature wear of the concrete at Saint-Michel station. This being out of service, the only way to send a train in the other direction is to Jean-Talon station. Consequently, the D’Iberville and Fabre stations were also closed.
At a press briefing, the mayor of Montreal also invited the Quebec government to assume its responsibilities to maintain the metro. Investments in asset maintenance are at their lowest since 2013, lamented Valérie Plante.
“When we disinvest for nearly 10 years in the maintenance of public transportation, we are asking for problems,” denounced the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, who also visited the site .
With Lylou Nicastro, The Press