STM secures provincial funding to install a new train control system on the Blue Line

The provincial government of Quebec committed to funding the project with C$565 million.
Jan. 24, 2023
STM
The government of Quebec will provide more than C$565 million to STM to implement CBTC on the Blue Line.
The government of Quebec will provide more than C$565 million to STM to implement CBTC on the Blue Line.

The government of Quebec has committed to providing more than C$565 million (US$423 million) to equip the Société de transport de Montréal’s (STM) Blue Line with communications-based train control (CBTC).

The current system dates to the 1970s and detects train movement using an electrical circuit. CBTC communicates between onboard equipment and wayside elements that deliver a more reliable, intelligent and predictive signaling system. The Blue Line will be the first rail line to implement CBTC, with the plan being to install the technology throughout the rest of the STM network.

Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Geneviève Guilbault commented the investment ensures Montréal residents will be provided optimized and quality service.

Director General of the STM Marie-Claude Léonard explained the project will provide technological viability of the city’s metro network well into the future.

A tender for the CBTC system was issued Jan. 23 with plans to have it commissioned on the Blue Line in 2028 and on the Blue Line extension in 2029.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman

Mischa Wanek-Libman

Group Editorial Director

Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.

Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.

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