Montreal and Quebec to invest $565 million in metro system
The governments of Quebec and Montreal announced on Monday that they would invest more than $565 million to improve the Montreal metro system.
The money will equip the Blue line with a new train control system.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and Transport Minister Genevieve Guilbault made the announcement at the STM's metro garage.
The new system is meant to better manage spacing between trains, their speed and track changes.
"Investing in the maintenance and development of the Montréal metro means ensuring quality service for citizens and the sustainability of our infrastructure," said Guilbault. "The new train control system will make it possible to optimize the service."
The new technology will expand from the Blue line to the Green, Orange and Yellow lines at a later date.
Quebec will pay $296.6 million for the improvements with the STM chipping in $65.6 million.
The Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system is used globally and improves the communication between the train, track and traffic and infrastructure control management.
"The Communications-Based Train Control is like the nervous system and the brain in each train," explained STM President Eric Alan Caldwell.
The city added that the Blue line extension project continues and will include five more stations heading east to the Anjou borough.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The Montreal mayor said the new control system is a step to modernize the metro.
"This essential element of the extension of the blue line will also allow us to develop a network that is ever more efficient and on the cutting edge of technology," said Plante.
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