Three blue line stations closed
Three stations on the blue line – Fabre, d’Iberville and Saint‑Michel – have been closed because of structural concerns revealed by work being done at Saint‑Michel. A shuttle bus, bus 809, will run between Jean‑Talon and Saint‑Michel stations while repairs are made.
Clarifications have been made Friday morning. The problem is at Saint‑Michel only, but they need to close the stations between Saint‑Michel and Jean‑Talon because Jean‑Talon is the only station before Saint‑Michel where trains can turn to go back towards Snowdon.
Update: La Presse says the STM is blaming the infiltration of road salt brine for weakening the concrete.
carswell 09:59 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
An Agora Mtl poster took the shuttle from St-Michel to Jean-Talon and timed the legs of the trip and the waiting time to board. The later was good, under four minutes, but the trip itself took about 25 minutes vs. four minutes on the subway.
This is also going to have an effect on local businesses with non-local customers. Case in point: friends and I are indefinitely postponing a planned outing to the St-Michel flea market, about a 10-minute walk from the namesake station.
Kate 10:36 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
Not great, but better than having part of Saint‑Michel station collapse.
carswell 10:46 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
Oh, def. But I pity those commuters.
That the serious work on the blue line extension finally begins and immediately results in an extended blue line reduction is almost unbearably ironic.
Kate 12:11 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
I suppose it’s possible that maintenance work on Saint-Michel had been put on hold because of an assumption it would be done when the extension work began, but that could have been years ago, given the endless delays on this project.
carswell 12:43 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
Per Radio Noon, having finished a round of major maintenance work on the original 1960s stations, the STM is now focusing on the newer stations.
According to the guest prof, first indications are that salt, mostly from slush clinging to passengers’ footwear, is a major suspect. The prof noted that to avoid falls and lawsuits, the STM salts very heavily around metro stations, which exacerbates the problem and is an argument in favour of heating the entrance areas and nearby sidewalks instead of salting.
Kate 13:05 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
I was just adding La Presse’s version of the salt story to the original post.
Ian 23:18 on 2024-10-04 Permalink
That really stinks, there are a lot of people that rely on those stops for theor mornings. For example, JFK at St Michel is three schools in one – adult ed, regular high school, and a Pathways school.