My Alerts 
Starting today, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is initiating another major phase of renovations aimed at improving the reliability of its escalators. By 2020, it expects that 63 such escalators will have either been replaced or undergone a major refurbish inside some 20 métro stations on the Blue, Orange and Green lines. The work sequence will be planned in such a way as to make it easy for transit users. The $34 M project is in line with STM’s strategic shift toward improving the experience for customers, as one of its main orientations is indeed reducing the backlog in asset maintenance.
Montréal, June 20, 2016 – Starting today, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is initiating another major phase of renovations aimed at improving the reliability of its escalators. By 2020, it expects that 63 such escalators will have either been replaced or undergone a major refurbish inside some 20 métro stations on the Blue, Orange and Green lines. The work sequence will be planned in such a way as to make it easy for transit users. The $34 M project is in line with STM’s strategic shift toward improving the experience for customers, as one of its main orientations is indeed reducing the backlog in asset maintenance.
The 296 escalators in STM’s underground network are the most heavily-used in Canada, handling nearly one million passenger rides a day, or some 250 million a year.
24 new escalators
Replacement of four escalators will begin this year. Work is set to start this summer at Saint-Michel and Édouard-Montpetit stations, followed by Jean-Talon. From 2017 to the end of 2018, the STM expects to replace 20 more escalators at these stations: Namur, Saint-Michel, Côte-des-Neiges, Édouard-Montpetit, De la Savane and Fabre.
Replacing an escalator translates into a major work site for about six months, because of the complex work required. Indeed, installing a new escalator often calls for structural reinforcement or the relocation of conduits. Furthermore, as the escalators scheduled for installation at Saint-Michel, Édouard-Montpetit stations are new models, these must first be operated without customers using them for a month-long period, to review their performance and ensure they comply with the strictest of safety standards.
Major refurbish for 39 escalators
Those escalators will undergo a major overhaul and be fitted with both new components and reconditioned parts taken from dismantled escalators. Work begins this week at Parc station, followed by Côte-Vertu station later this summer. Afterwards, work will continue at Du Collège, McGill, Jean-Talon, Bonaventure, Outremont, Acadie, De Castelnau, Fabre and D’Iberville. All refurbish work is performed by STM maintenance crews and should take about three months for each escalator.
Customers are main concern
The STM is aware of how important escalators are for transit users. As such, work will be staggered to keep people moving easily in the station, and whenever possible, an escalator will be running upwards. The STM is also working closely with representatives from the disabled community to keep them informed before work begins at a given station and a communication plan is rolled out to notify customers in targeted stations. Transit users are invited to go to stm.info to learn more.
Financing
The STM reminds that the replacement of the 24 escalators is part of Phase 3 of its Réno-Systèmes program, with financing of up to 75% provided by the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
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Amélie Régis
Affaires publiques
STM
514 280-5508
amelie.regis@stm.info
