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As much as I love Montreal's Metro - the trains, with their rubber tires, aren't as quiet as they are claimed to be. They are quite loud as they whoosh into a station and just as loud inside the train when in motion. At least the Toronto subway (interior at least) is much quieter and you can carry on a conversation without raising your voice.
 
Are subway speeds that slow on the subway compared to the metro? Seemed similar to me in the central area - with Toronto gaining an advantage in the suburbs, with the less frequent stations.

In many ways, they are quite similar, both with some small advantages and disadvantages. I wouldn't particularly put one ahead of the other. Similar length, similar number of stations, similar station distance in central area, relatively similar frequencies much of the time

Pros
Toronto
: In-station bus transfers, more frequent service, especially off-peak, later service, credit/debit, A/C, continuing expansion, elevators in most stations (should be all in a couple of years)
Montreal: Design, excellent transfer stations Lionel-Groulx and Snowdon, ambience, maintenance, smoother ride with ATC for last 50 years, less noise

Cons
Toronto
: Maintenance, narrow platforms in 1950s stations and oddly the busiest Line 2 1960s stations, unheated stations - some outdoors, lack of information screens at most major bus stops
Montreal: less frequent off-peak service, cold snowy bus stops across the street from a station rather than in station, unsufferable packed trains in heatwave, no stations opened in Montreal (or anywhere on the island) since the 1980s, poor fare payment options (even the Opus card requires frequent reloads of tickets (for each system) and doesn't carry simply carry an auto-reloadable cash balance), long transfers at Jean-Talon and Berri (yellow line) interchange stations, lack of elevators
 
Are subway speeds that slow on the subway compared to the metro? Seemed similar to me in the central area - with Toronto gaining an advantage in the suburbs, with the less frequent stations.

In many ways, they are quite similar, both with some small advantages and disadvantages. I wouldn't particularly put one ahead of the other. Similar length, similar number of stations, similar station distance in central area, relatively similar frequencies much of the time

Pros
Toronto
: In-station bus transfers, more frequent service, especially off-peak, later service, credit/debit, A/C, continuing expansion, elevators in most stations (should be all in a couple of years)
Montreal: Design, excellent transfer stations Lionel-Groulx and Snowdon, ambience, maintenance, smoother ride with ATC for last 50 years, less noise

Cons
Toronto
: Maintenance, narrow platforms in 1950s stations and oddly the busiest Line 2 1960s stations, unheated stations - some outdoors, lack of information screens at most major bus stops
Montreal: less frequent off-peak service, cold snowy bus stops across the street from a station rather than in station, unsufferable packed trains in heatwave, no stations opened in Montreal (or anywhere on the island) since the 1980s, poor fare payment options (even the Opus card requires frequent reloads of tickets (for each system) and doesn't carry simply carry an auto-reloadable cash balance), long transfers at Jean-Talon and Berri (yellow line) interchange stations, lack of elevators
The transfers at Berri are definitely long, but I'm always impressed by the sheer size and scale of that station.
 
The transfers at Berri are definitely long, but I'm always impressed by the sheer size and scale of that station.
The green/orange intersection and hallways around it are certainly impressive - and with the open platforms to the mezzanine, so open different than the Bloor-Yonge disaster.

Ah, the long hours I got to spend at Berri-De Montigny staring at those wall while queuing in those corridors in high school, looped around the platforms waiting to get the annual photo for the cheap MUCTC pass. :)
 
As much as I love the frequency of Toronto‘s transit networks compared to what we have to endure here in Montreal, it always shocks me how exasperatingly slow the Subway is…

Apparently Toronto subway trains can (and used to) go faster than they do at present. See this comprehensive Steve Munro post for a discussion of "high rate" speeds.
 
I guess I don't ride the Toronto subway enough to witness it.

This happened during the middle of the day.
I saw them using the floor scrubber thing at Spadina station today - about 12 noon. Not only that, but at the other end of the area, there was another person with a mop and bucket! I thought I had a photo, but someone stepped in front, so there's not much to see.

Probably a lot more frequent on snowy days like today. The entrance ways would be atrocious without regular cleaning.
 
This absolutely needs to be shared here!
À un party de famille, notre hôte travaillant chez CDPQi, on nous a montré ces superbes livres de 270 et 110 pages truffés de photos inédites sur le projet du REM. Ces livres sont des éditions limitées donnés exclusivement aux employés malheureusement…
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Nicnic1447 on AgoraMTL

Merci beaucoup!!!
 


REM says they are on track to open the North and West branches in October.

The sources are in French, and I'm not strong enough to translate more than that. 😅
 


REM says they are on track to open the North and West branches in October.

The sources are in French, and I'm not strong enough to translate more than that. 😅

The gist of the article says you'll be able to travel from Deux-Montagnes to Gare Centrale in 30 minutes. It was supposed to be open already, but the complexity of the Mount Royal tunnel is the cause of the delays. Then the CEO blames the 2027 date for YUL on the airport and not CDQP Infra. He then goes on to say that it's mostly the snow that's to blame for the 9 service disruptions since December (3 of them just at the start of first day of this month) and the usual fluffy stuff about how they're working to improve it. There's also a bit around how they are doing things so much more cost efficiently then the rest of Canada, despite the budget going up.

To be fair, it's October is a prediction, not a guarantee. There's not a firm opening date in the article
 
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The CRRC cars for exo haven't been doing so well.

Water infiltration, affecting electronics, and doors malfunctioning.

It also recaps, the delayed manufacturing, delivery, and entry into service.

 
The CRRC cars for exo haven't been doing so well.

Water infiltration, affecting electronics, and doors malfunctioning.

It also recaps, the delayed manufacturing, delivery, and entry into service.

Well before this turns into an anti-China rant, Alstom/Bombardier products lately haven't exactly been shining examples of quality either.

Stadler though is a highlight, the FLIRTs are fantastic, and I think Caltrains KISS are also doing well.

Since GO is refurbishing all their cars I'm guessing no new trains there until electrification, but I hope the pick Stadler when they do
 
Well before this turns into an anti-China rant, Alstom/Bombardier products lately haven't exactly been shining examples of quality either.
I don't recall any serious problems with either the new Toronto streetcars or the newest GO cars. There were some welding problems a decade ago on some of the earliest Flexitys - but they were fixed by Bombardier at their expense.
 

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