After a quiet Monday, more riders took the subway on Tuesday morning and the STM added 5e Train on the yellow line to avoid a possible overflow.
• Also read: Heavy rush hour traffic this morning in the greater Montreal area
• Also read: Tunnel La Fontaine: He rents a room at his own expense to avoid traffic
“It’s 10-15% busier than yesterday,” said STM operations manager Alain Gervais.
Mr Gervais was stationed at that nerve center this morning to make sure everything was going well.
Photo Louis Philippe Messier
Equipped with a radio, he reminded us of a sports coach on the sidelines, observing and directing his players.
Rush hour started around 6:45 a.m., he said.
“We added a 5th train and put four station employees at the counters instead of two to speed up the process. We could even add a 6th train if needed.”
- Hear local journalist Louis-Philippe Messier on QUB radio:
Around 7:30 am the trains were leaving about every three and a half minutes I found.
The cars filled up immediately when the doors opened.
Given the accelerated pace of the descents, it wasn’t “sardine class” (where everyone piles on their feet).
On the other hand, the four station agents (at the counters) were not enough to meet the ticket demand, and long queues of resigned travelers quickly formed.
It was the first of the month and a large number of users wanted to pay their monthly subscription.
Photo Louis Philippe Messier
The accelerated speed of the trains regularly evacuated the platforms despite the high rush.
Two security guards walked around the platform to control the crowd.
With traffic flowing, the latter were less concerned with “securing” the premises than answering questions from passengers confused by the pricing intricacies of this station where, like Laval, the normal Montreal title doesn’t work.
When my report was finished, I couldn’t buy a ticket with my Opus card: the “little machines” wouldn’t let me.
I had to put up with waiting in line for 17 minutes for a $4.50 one-time pass.
Several trains passed in front of me while I waited.
What can be used to speed up the passage of trains is of little use if it is difficult to gain the right-of-way.