The Blue line’s easternmost stops could remain closed for weeks, according to Marie-Claude Léonard, CEO of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
Montreal’s public transit authority announced the closure of three Metro stations on the Blue line — Fabre, d’Iberville and Saint-Michel — on Thursday evening for an indefinite period for safety reasons.
Engineering teams have found significant degradation of main beams above the walkway at Saint-Michel station, the STM says.
“Given the location of track equipment needed for train turnarounds, Fabre and d’Iberville stations must also be closed,” it says.
In a news conference on Friday morning, Léonard said engineering teams were looking into the cause.
Shuttle bus in place
She added that a shuttle bus would run between Jean-Talon and Saint-Michel Metro stations, stopping at each station.
But some riders aren’t happy with that solution.
Saint-Michel is the closest station to Jenny Tremblay’s home and said it was “perfect for [her].” She said she’ll take her car rather than using the shuttle.
Emily Aguiarpalumbo was also feeling “pretty upset” about the station being shut down and said she wasn’t aware of the closure until she arrived there Friday morning.
She said it’s inconvenient that she can’t take the Metro and isn’t sure how she’ll adjust her daily routine.
“I’ll have to figure that out,” she said.
Montreal’s public transit authority says ongoing work at Saint-Michel station revealed damage on the beams above the walkway. Since the train cannot make the turnaround maneuver at Fabre and d’Iberville stations, the STM had to close those stations too.
“We’re very aware and sorry about the impact it’s having on our customers. But we can’t afford to put anyone’s safety at risk,” said Léonard.
On Friday, Mayor Valérie Plante said work on the extension of the Blue line would continue, and that the closure of Saint-Michel Metro station was not related to it.
She said the Quebec government should invest more money in maintaining the Montreal Metro system.
“Yes, we want to build additional floors on the house, but the foundation needs to be taken care of,” said Plante. “The provincial government’s investment in asset maintenance is nowhere near what’s needed.”
On X, Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault said an announcement regarding the Blue line extension that was scheduled for Friday morning would be postponed.
“Safety is our priority,” she said.
In August, the city’s transit authority announced that the extension of the line would have to wait until at least 2031.