Half of the stations on the blue line of the Montreal metro were closed this Sunday due to major work at the Édouard-Montpetit station.
It was impossible for users to access the Côte-des-Neiges, Université-de-Montréal, Édouard-Montpetit, Outremont and Acadie stations. At Snowdon station, the blue line was also closed, but it was possible to go to the platforms of the orange line.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) explains that this “exceptional closure” is caused by accessibility work at the Édouard-Montpetit station.
“Given the location of the switches (the equipment necessary for the train to turn around and go back in the other direction), we are obliged to exceptionally close (this) section of the blue line” , specifies the STM.
The closure of the affected stations was to be in effect from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the transport company tweeted that “work constraints” force them to extend the closure of the section indefinitely.
Around 9:15 p.m., the STM reported that normal service had resumed on the blue line.
In order to compensate for the loss of access to the metro in this sector, a special bus service made the round trip between the Snowdon and Jean-Talon stations for the duration of the closure.
The shuttle stopped at closed stations, as well as Parc, De Castelnau and Jean-Talon stations. A bus was also to pass every 10 minutes, according to the STM.
On the blue line, Parc, De Castelnau, Jean-Talon, Fabre, D’Iberville and Saint-Michel stations remained open on Sunday.
Unlike the forced service interruption that occurred last Monday on the green line, the closure of several stations on the blue line on Sunday was planned and had already been announced by the STM.