Montreal's metro system experienced more complete shutdowns in 2016 than usual, but also saw a drop in overall metro delays.

The STM faced four complete metro shutdowns at all 68 stations along four lines in 2016, the highest number since 2013

A look at the past five years:

  • 2012: 7
  • 2013: 9
  • 2014: 1
  • 2015: 2

In the past ten years, there have been a total of 25 complete shutdowns, and in 2008, 2009 and 2011, there were none at all.

The average time of each shutdown was 27 minutes, compared with the following times:

  • 2012: 68
  • 2013: 40
  • 2014: 7
  • 2015: 18

The STM said the four cases in 2016 are considered isolated incidents.

There was one in July related to the metro data network, and three in November all related to communication problems with equipment in the metro’s control centre – though they were not linked.

"This confirms that investments in asset maintenance are critical to the quality of service and we are moving in this direction: $887 million will be invested in 2017 alone in our infrastructure," said Amelie Regis, STM spokesperson, in a statement.

The city should be doing more to correct these problems, said Projet Montreal leader Valerie Plante.

“We should’t have all those breakdowns, so that’s one thing. What is the cause? What can we do better,” she said. “And also what we’ve been saying over and over is what is the plan when there are breakdowns? So far we feel like the STM doesn’t invest enough.”

There were 924 delays of five minutes or more in 2016, fewer than in 2015:

  • 2012: 1,030
  • 2013: 895
  • 2014: 903
  • 2015: 956

 

The report comes a day after an initial report into a malfunction that caused the Orange line to shut down for several hours over the weekend.