Montreal agency to refurbish, upgrade Viau Station

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) next week will begin a major CA$60 million refurbishment of Viau Station on the Green Line.

The Montreal station will be renovated and equipped with two elevators leading to each platform, and the underground workshop will be doubled in size. The project will increase the capacity of the underground center — where vehicles used for night-time maintenance are parked — to make room for six extra convoys, STM officials said in a press release.

Each convoy includes a rechargeable electric loco-tractor and a transport platform. The Viau attachment center will eventually house 12 vehicles for metro network maintenance. Currently, it can accommodate only six vehicles, while the agency has about 30 that serve its entire network, STM officials said.

"This will reduce work vehicles' travel time and optimize metro maintenance," they said.

The station refurbishment work includes reconstructing staircases; upgrading floor coverings; replacing butterfly doors and windows; improving lighting; reconfiguring turnstiles; and replacing the waterproofing membrane for the underground station's roof.
   
Viau Station serves about 2.9 million passengers annually and will remain open during the work, which is scheduled to conclude in spring 2021.