The 747 Express bus route in service as of midnight March 28-29

Press release


 

The 747 Express bus route
in service as of midnight March 28-29


Montréal, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 29 marks the debut of the new bus service with limited stops that will provide a direct link between downtown Montréal and Montréal-Trudeau Airport. The introduction of the 747 Express bus was announced on March 11 by Mr. Michel Labrecque, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), in the presence of Madam Manon Barbe, Mayor of the Borough of LaSalle and Executive Committee member responsible for transportation, and Mr. James C. Cherry, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).

“This new route is designed to improve service in the Dorval hub and to more adequately meet the needs of the airport by increasing access to this area, which generates some 10 000 rides every day. With this new service, we hope to create an awareness of public transit among airport clients and employees so that they make a habit of using it for their transportation needs,” declared Mr. Labrecque. “The 747 – Express bus was created as part of the STM’s service improvement programme, funded equally by Transports Québec and Ville de Montréal.”

Service 24/7 throughout the year
The 747 – Express bus will be operational seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Its route will feature nine stops in each direction, including transfer stops at Lionel-Groulx station, Central Station, Berri-UQAM station and at Gare d’autocars de Montréal, in addition to stopping close to a few downtown hotels and tourist attractions. Buses will run every 20 minutes during rush hour, every 30 minutes during off-peak periods, and every hour from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. The return trip covers nearly 45 km and will take from 20 to 35 minutes in each direction, depending on traffic conditions.

A distinct fare
Custom-designed to serve the airport, the new bus service allows travellers to pay the $7 fare in cash aboard the bus and, in return, also enjoy unlimited access to the bus and métro network for the next 24 hours.

Holders of regular and reduced fare weekly or monthly CAM cards, as well as 1-day and 3-day fare cards, can take advantage of this service at no extra cost. The monthly TRAM card (1 to 8) also covers this service. These transit fares will also be sold at the airport (international arrivals level), at Gare d’autocars de Montréal, at the Infotourist centres located at Dorchester Square and in Old Montréal as well as at all usual points of sale.

A bus made to measure
Because of the special nature of this bus service, its distinct visual signature features the blue chevron identifying the STM’s new corporate branding to which a pictogram of a plane was added. As the majority of clients using this route will be travellers with luggage, the buses will be equipped with three baggage racks that can hold up to 17 standard suitcases and 17 cabin-size bags.

And to make it easier for clients to identify the 747 bus stops, miniature panels will be installed above the bus stop panels of other regular bus routes.

Promotion
The STM will advertise the new bus service to potential clients by means of a promotional campaign, rolled out gradually in cooperation with ADM. Thus, information will be available through the STM’s promotional material as well as in Tourisme Montréal’s official tourist guide, on backlit signs inside major downtown métro stations as well as on the electronic billboards inside métro cars. Finally, poster ads will be installed in various strategic locations close to the bus route, including bus shelters and several hotels.

For more information, clients can call STM-INFO (514 786-4636). They can also call A-U-T-O-B-U-S (514 288-6287) for bus schedules at their stop. The STM website (www.stm.info) also provides schedules as well as other useful information.

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