Montreal Metro
The city of Montreal's metro system (métro) was inaugurated on October 14, 1966, during the tenure of Mayor Jean Drapeau. It consisted in the beginning of 26 stations on three lines; this has been expanded to 65 stations on four lines, serving the centre and east of Montreal Island with a connection to Longueuil and, soon, Laval.
A number of design choices were informed by Montreal's winter conditions. Unlike the metros of other large cities, nearly all metro station entrances in Montreal are completely enclosed, usually in small, separate entrance buildings. All entrances are set back from the sidewalk. Several downtown stations are also connected directly to buildings, making the metro a linchpin of Montreal's famous underground city.
Also, due to the requirements of the metro's rubber tire technology, it was built entirely underground. It was the first metro in the world to run entirely on rubber tires.
Montreal's metro is renowned for its architecture and public art. Under the direction of Mayor Drapeau, each station was to be designed in a different style by a different architect. Several of its stations are very important examples of modernist architecture, and various system-wide design choices were informed by the International Style.
Furthermore, along with Stockholm, Montreal pioneered the installation of public art in the metro among capitalist countries. More than fifty of its stations are decorated with over one hundred works of public art, such as sculpture, stained glass, and murals by noted Quebec artists, including members of the famous art movement les Automatistes.
Important works include the stained-glass window by Marcelle Ferron at Champ-de-Mars metro and the Guimard Parisian metro entrance at Square Victoria metro donated by the RATP to commemorate its cooperation in constructing the metro. It is the only authentic Guimard entrance in use in the world outside Paris.
Trains are composed of three, six, or nine cars (maximum length 152,4 metres). Service starts at 5:30 am and runs to 1:00 am on weekdays and Sunday, 1:30 am on Saturday, and 12:15 am on the blue line. Rush hour intervals on the orange and green lines downtown are three to five minutes between trains.
The metro is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal, which also operates the bus services in Montreal. Metro and bus fares are fully integrated. Fare payment is via a barrier system, including magnetic tickets and passes, punched-card bus transfers, and non-magnetized reduced fare tickets (must be presented to the ticket taker).
Fares are partially integrated with the Agence métropolitaine de transport's commuter rail system; four intermodal stations allow transfers between the metro and commuter trains.
Montreal metro lines are identified by colour, by number, and by terminus station.
1 Green line, Angrignon — Honoré-Beaugrand
(Note: There is no line 3.[1])Design
Operations
Metro lines
2 Orange line, Côte-Vertu — Henri-Bourassa (extension to Laval scheduled for completion by 2006)
4 Yellow line, Berri-UQAM — Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke
5 Blue line, Snowdon — Saint-Michel