Montreal's STM unveils $2.5 billion equipment, infrastructure plan

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) last week outlined a $2.5 billion capital expenditure program (in Canadian dollars) for 2015-17 that calls for replacing or upgrading equipment and infrastructure that will reach the end of their service life in the next few years.

The program, which includes acquisition of 468 new "Azur" cars for the Metro subway, details 46 projects, 12 of which represent 94 percent of the investments for a total of $2.3 billion. The program will have "a direct impact on improving transportation for our customers," STM officials said in a press release.

The program also includes a major refurbishment and retrofit of the Youville minor repairs shop, the development and commissioning of Metro driving cab simulators, the raising of train platforms inside stations slated for elevators, the ongoing Reno-Metro umbrella program that includes both Reno-Systems and Reno-Infrastructure programs, and the major refurbishment of Berri-UQAM station started in 2010.

To reach ridership growth objectives, agency officials plan to allocate about $1.3 billion for the replacement and expansion of bus and subway rolling stock. Between 2015 and 2017, STM expects to spend about $1 billion to acquire the Azur Metro cars and $163 million to purchase 115 hybrid buses.

The governments of Quebec and Canada, along with the Montreal Urban Agglomeration, will finance 75 percent of the program, or more than $1.9 billion. STM will finance the remainder.