Documentary/History: The STM | Montreal QC, Canada

Hey Guys, Here is the next installment to the History/Documentary Series. it is on the STM or the Montreal Metro. The Montreal metro or STM dates all the way back to the 1960s. The original lines opened on October 14, 1966 and was the second subway system, in all of Canada. The system has seen several extensions throughout the decades. The rolling stock has changed a lot too, the MR-63s are the longest running Subway cars in all of North America. Running from 1966 - 2018. As always, don't forget to like, comment and subscribe and DFTBA!
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The Links:

Twitter: @NickDaltonYT​

[mlfett]

I got to ride in the metro with my parents for the first time in November 1966 (I was 7). It was an amazing experience. What you missed was the context in which Drapeau was able to move forward with the metro - the coming of Expo 67 - they used the waste from the tunnelling to build the islands that were to be home to the exposition. While I moved away from Montreal in 1989, before that the metro was part of my daily life, commuting from my parents' place in the suburbs to school (McGill) then to work. The original line was able to connect people living on the South Shore into downtown without having to spend hours commuting over the bridge to the island. Henri Bourassa was the station that was the northern most, meaning people who lived on the island of Laval, had to take a bus over the bridge to catch the metro at Henri Bourassa. It had been a huge debate for many years to bring the metro to Laval - people in Laval did not want Montreal's tax burden to run the metro. However, as you pointed out eventually, the extension did go from Henri Bourassa over to Laval, ending at Montmorency where a large CEGEP campus had been built. Just a note, you really should have had someone coach you on the French pronunciations. Yikes!

[michaelleggett]

Thanks, Nick. I rode on the Montreal Metro in August of 1973. It was a fun system.

[CharlesMacphee]

A good video. Two things you may not have realized while you rode the STM was the gradiants that the system has. Rubber tire can handle the fast change in depth far faster than rail systems. The second thing, with the entire system underground, including the depots, you do not have the rust issue caused by winter of bad weather so I was unsurpirsed that the fleet lasted so long.

[trevorderper]

As a person who was born in Montreal, thanks for covering it. My favorites were the MR-63's as a child taking the Green line.

[TheInfo]

Really like your video! I think one of the main reasons are trains last so long here is because our system is completely underground and therefore isn't really exposed to the harsh winters we have. We also do to take really good care of our trains they aren't spotless but they aren't extremely dirty either

[marcleslac]

As a montrealer im happy you did a episode on our metro

[yksanh.]

Actually the announcement on the Azur is the older versions and the one on the mr63/73 are the newer ones she had to re-record them because people said that the old one was to rough

[alexdubreuil]

Both of my grandfathers were conductors and knew of each other before my parents met. My grandfather asked my dad where did he get that (STCUM) sticker on his car bumper. I have great memories of my childhood. Thxx for documentary.

[robelanger]

One note: The reason the doors open along the outside of the trains is that there is more windows and less blind spots, also it give more room inside the trains by having thinner walls Thus more room inside with the same train width

[ydesroches]

You said that, during the inauguration weekend, starting on October 14th 1966, more than one million people used it. That success is due to the fact that Montrealers had waited long enough for it and... that the access was free. I was 14 at the time and I remember very well the crowd of people. The access was also free in 2007, when the three métro stations in Laval were opened . These stations had elevators and soon, the STM began constructing elevators in existing stations. Since these stations had not been designed to have elevators, the STM is still working on it.

[thebobs]

You have to remember...Boston trains don't hold up as well because most of the MBTA's tracks are above ground and trains are exposed to the elements. The Montreal Metro is completely underground. Another difference is that Boston is a seaport and the salt air also contributes to corrosion. The MBTA's workers should be congratulated for keeping the Hawker trains running as long as they did on the Blue Line (before the Siemens trains arrived) as well as the Hawker trains currently on the Orange Line. The Red and Orange Lines are receiving new trains from CRRC, but I doubt they will run nearly as long. The problems they've experienced so far do not inspire confidence. I am old enough to remember the 0900 and 01100 series cars on what is now the Orange Line, the Osgood Bradley cars on the Red Line and the old 1920's trains on the Blue Line. The Boston Elevated, the MTA and now the MBTA have actually maintained vehicles quite well. It's politicians and administrators who have not had comprehensive plans to renew vehicles, stations, and infrastructure in a timely fashion.

[jeanbolduc]

The new REM ( public transport on the surface and connected to the metro )will be maybe to modern for you and fully automated .. the line from Brossard to downtown Montreal crossing the Champlain bridge will be running ever 2 .5 minutes and offering amazing views ... thanks for your videos I appreciate your work .. hope you like our beautiful city

[eannamcnamara]

Lovely video! learnt some new things about montreal.

But As a Parisian I need to point out that the Paris metro didn't convert to rubber tires, only 4 of the 13 existing lines (1, 4, 6, 11, and the 14 but that was build with tires) were converted. A lot of people make that mistake, but you've made the least worse for them.

Most egregiously I've seen a french railway channel say in a video that a metro has to have rubber to be called a metro, which is quite literally ignoring the other 11 lines as well as every metro/subway apart from Montreal, mexico and Santiago.

I don't want to diss your video, it's great.

[darklordkuro]

An extention to the blue line is currently in the work. Adding about 5 station

[LeGrandJuju]

Fun fact: Paris never used concrete rollways for rubber tyred metro as far as I know. It might be a trial by SOFRETU engineers in Montreal to reduce costs.
Indeed Paris first used Azobé (Lophira alata) wooden planks (still used for railroad ties also) and then transitioned to steel metal I-beams. Theses are sometimes grooved to helps evacuate water and melting snow or covered in adherent coating in slippy areas. The wooden planks are expensive but resistant rot and insects and don't need to be treated with harmful creosote. This rare trees were abundantly found in former French colonies.

[aliullah]

One correction I would point out is that the LED screens in the MR-73 trains were installed before the mid 2000s refurbish. They were installed in the early 90s.

[chutetreillis]

13:48 because it is fully underground that’s why

[clee]

Great documentary! I have learned some new stuff on the metro of my own city! I have taken the Boston subway once, but I don't remember much, because I was very mad at the machine that took my last American dollar without giving me my ride ticket :/

[jylphoto]

really good video! Well edited and explained and I'm glad you posted it :)

[maryanne]

Keeping it underground mean that a very minimum of homeowners were displaced- only for station entry sites.