Trying to catch an STM AZUR metro train is a rarity these days. Only five of the 14 new trains are currently running on the tracks.
The public transit agency is waiting for new, custom made parts to arrive before fitting the AZURs with the pieces.
“We’re just waiting for that because it’s not something you go to Canadian Tire to buy,” Philippe Schnobb, chairman of the STM, told Global News.
The problem stems back to Jan. 14 when the AZUR contact shoe was wearing down the tracks causing an electrical problem. All AZUR metro cars were pulled off the line.
They trains are now being phased back but some people complain it’s taking far too long.
“It’s kind of a bummer because they’re really nice and there’s a lot more room,” one rider told Global News.
The current fleet of more than 400 train cars on the orange line date back to the 1960s and 70s.
The STM has plans to replace them all by the end of 2018.
City officials are making sure the transit agency will hit its target date as Montreal celebrates its 375th anniversary this year.
“We’re putting a lot of pressure on the STM to do the job as fast as they can,” Aref Salem, the Montreal executive committee member in charge of transportation, told Global News.
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