AZUR Métro Cars

The new AZUR métro cars
How AZUR will benefit you
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The new AZUR métro cars

The gradual replacement of the MR-63 cars, which have been running since the métro opened in 1966, will mark a major change in the history of montréal’s public transit system. For users, the new 21st century rolling stock, scheduled to enter service in fall 2014, will mean:

Better service
Increased capacity
Greater comfort
Increased reliability

As in other major cities, including Munich, Berlin, Bangkok, Shanghai, Mexico City, Delhi, and Madrid, the new nine-car “boa” trains will allow passengers to move about freely from one end to the other.

The transition from our forty-eight-year-old vehicles to new state-of-the-art cars requires a phenomenal amount of preparation. Our expertise and know-how in the fields of engineering, public transit operation, and infrastructure management will be put to good use. This project will also impact the work of many employees, including drivers and maintenance workers.

On October 22, 2010, STM signed a contract with the Bombardier-Alstom Consortium (BAC) to purchase 468 métro cars. This project, which will be spread out over several years, calls for a $1.2G investment, financed jointly by Quebec’s Ministère des transports (75%) and the Montréal agglomeration (25%).

How AZUR will benefit you

Freedom of movement: nine-car trains allow passengers to move freely from one end to the other
Increased capacity: each train can accommodate up to 8% more passengers.
Ventilation system adjusts automatically to number of passengers in each car
27% wider doors: easier to embark and disembark, obstruction sensors
Designed to ensure universal accessibility: more and better-positioned hand grips, colours and contrasts chosen for better visibility
Optimal ergonomic positioning of seats
Layout of end cars: 22 fixed seats, 2 flip-up seats, 2 spaces reserved for wheel chairs, ischiatic supports
Layout of middle cars: 28 fixed seats, 4 flip-up seats.
Top-of-the-line public address system, acoustic environment to minimize background noise
Panoramic windows with anti-grafitti and anti-scratchitti protective coating
Innovative lighting: indirect lighting to create a more comfortable environment
Pneumatic suspension system: smoother ride, less vibration
Heightened sense of security: 3 times more interphones, impossible to fall between cars, 4 continuous surveillance cameras
High-tech information systems