MONTREAL Transport (STM) has awarded a $C 217.2m ($US 161.9m) contract to Thales Ground Transportation Systems Canada to install and maintain CBTC on the metro Blue Line, including a 6km extension where early construction is underway.
STM says installing CBTC on the existing 9.7km Blue Line as well as the extension is necessary as the existing track-circuit-based system, which was installed when the line opened in 1986, is outdated and could not be used on the extension.
The project is financed primarily by the government of Quebec with some support from STM.
“By 2030, 93% of the STM’s infrastructure will be more than 40 years into its useful life,” says Mr Éric Alan Caldwell, chair of the STM board of directors. “We need to take every opportunity to modernize our network, which is what we’re doing by replacing the train control system.”
The extension project will add five new stations to the Blue Line, running east from the existing terminus of Saint-Michel to Anjou. The Blue Line project office is currently evaluating bids for the contract to excavate tunnels and build some of the stations. The preferred bidder is due to be announced this summer.
The line is expected to boost ridership by 15,000 passengers per day and is scheduled for completion in 2030.
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