Articulated buses pulled off Montreal roads should be back in coming weeks, says STM

CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 12:30 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

The 181 articulated buses, besides known arsenic accordion buses, that were temporarily removed from the roads past week volition beryllium backmost successful the coming weeks, announced Montreal's transit authority.

In a quality merchandise sent past week, the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) called the measurement "preventive" owed to issues with definite vehicles' centrifugal cooling system. The STM has a full of 220 articulated buses.

The manufacturer, Nova Bus, is moving with the transit bureau to fix the problem.

"The information of our customers and employees is astatine the bosom of our decisions," wrote the STM past week.

On Thursday, successful an email to CBC News, the STM acknowledged problems caused by this impermanent withdrawal of articulated buses.

It says the accordion buses, which person a capableness of 115 people, are being temporarily replaced by regular buses — with a capableness of 75.

"The main interaction for customers is overcrowding," stated spokesperson Renaud Martel-Théorêt.

"We inactive managed to present 99.17 per cent of the planned autobus work during yesterday's greeting unreserved hour."

The withdrawal of these buses comes during a month-long autobus and Metro strike, which could further complicate people's commute.

The main hurdle for getting accordion buses backmost connected the roads is entree to proviso parts, said Martel-Théorêt.

According to him, arsenic soon arsenic the transit authorization receives the parts, it volition transportation retired the indispensable repairs.

"The articulated buses volition beryllium backmost connected the roadworthy successful the coming weeks, and we anticipation to person completed the repairs by December," wrote Martel-Théorêt.

The national representing Metro operators, autobus drivers, and presumption agents staged a 24-hour onslaught connected Saturday, shutting down each autobus and Metro service, but adapted transit. They announced that they could motorboat different onslaught connected Nov. 15 and 16 unless there's advancement astatine the dialog table.

The accordion buses, which person a capableness of 115 people, are being temporarily replaced by regular buses — with a capableness of 75. (CBC)

On Wednesday evening, the national sent a onslaught announcement to the STM.

It is present up to Quebec's labour tribunal to find whether the level of indispensable services projected by the national during different imaginable onslaught is capable to debar endangering the wellness oregon information of the population.

In a quality merchandise to Radio-Canada, the national besides mentioned it met with the caller politician of Montreal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada connected Wednesday afternoon.

"Unfortunately, to date, nary of this has helped to interruption the impasse," work the merchandise from the union.

"Union representatives near the gathering disappointed, arsenic Ms. Martinez Ferrada confirmed that the City of Montreal would not amended the fiscal model imposed connected the STM since negotiations began past year."

The STM has reiterated connected aggregate occasions that it was successful an unprecedented fiscal situation.

Maintenance workers represented by the Syndicat du Transport de Montréal also started their ain onslaught astatine 10 p.m. connected Oct. 31. They are expected to proceed until Nov. 28 — barring a deal.

Over the duration of that strike, adapted transit volition run arsenic usual.

But autobus and Metro work volition beryllium reduced each week and confined to the pursuing hours to conscionable unreserved hr needs:

Bus service:

• From 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
• From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• From 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.

Most buses departing earlier the scheduled extremity of work volition implicit their trips, says the STM.

Metro service:

• From 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• From 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• From 11 p.m. until the Metro's accustomed closing time.

Metro stations volition adjacent gradually arsenic the past bid passes, says the STM.