The lucky of us either have cars or have family with cars that can shuttle us around. Or we have enough money for taxis that we don’t have to worry about taking a bus or metro or train. For the rest, this guide to service changes during the holiday season.
As I have in previous years, I ask that you have some sympathy for the bus, metro or train driver, station attendant or other employee who has to work during the holidays – some on Christmas morning, some through midnight on New Year’s Eve – just so that you can get you from point A to point B in the dark, wet, snowy mess that is the last week of the year.
STM (Montreal, including the entire metro)
(Mainly from the STM’s website):
- Friday, Dec. 24:
- Buses and metro service will follow a regular weekday schedule.
- Taxi service runs as normal.
- Saturday, Dec. 25:
- Most bus routes will run on a Saturday schedule.
- Metro trains will pass about every 10-12 minutes on the green line and every 10 minutes on the other lines.
- Sunday, Dec. 26:
- Most bus routes will run on a Sunday schedule.
- Metro service will run on a regular Sunday schedule, though additional trains will be added to the Orange (8:30am-7:30pm) and Green (8:30am-5:45pm) lines to accommodate rabid Boxing Day shoppers.
- Dec. 27-30: Normal weekday schedules for all services, though customer service and paratransit service have special hours and provisions for this week.
- Friday, Dec. 31:
- Buses, metro and taxi service will follow a regular weekday schedule.
- Once again, there’s no extension of metro service despite how many people are out celebrating New Year’s Eve. Last trains of the night leave the two blue line terminuses at 12:15am, in all five directions from Berri at 1am and from Longueuil at 1am.
- Night buses with a special Friday night schedule (including the 358 Sainte-Catherine) will run on that schedule.
- Saturday, Jan. 1:
- Bus routes will follow Saturday schedules for the most part.
- Metro trains will pass about every 10-12 minutes on the green line and every 10 minutes on the other lines.
- Sunday, Jan. 2:
- All services will follow regular Sunday schedules.
Note that Opus cards can be recharged at any point after Dec. 20.
STL (Laval)
As usual, the STL offers free transit on its buses on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (PDF).
- Dec. 24: Saturday schedule. Free service on all routes.
- Dec. 25:
- Sunday schedule for all routes.
- The following will only have service from 11am to 9pm: 12, 20, 25, 27, 28, 31, 33, 37, 39, 40, 45, 46, 58, 61, 63, 65, 66, 74, 144, 804 and 903.
- The following will have full regular Sunday service: 17, 24, 26, 42, 43, 48, 50, 52, 55, 56, 60, 70, 73, 76, and 151.
- Dec. 26: Regular Sunday schedules in effect for all routes.
- Dec. 27-30: Regular weekday schedules for all routes.
- Dec. 31: Saturday schedule. Free service on all routes.
- Jan. 1:
- Sunday schedule for all routes.
- The following will only have service from 11am to 9pm: 12, 20, 25, 27, 28, 31, 33, 37, 39, 40, 45, 46, 58, 61, 63, 65, 66, 74, 144, 804 and 903.
- The following will have full regular Sunday service: 17, 24, 26, 42, 43, 48, 50, 52, 55, 56, 60, 70, 73, 76, and 151.
- Jan 2: Regular Sunday schedule for all routes.
RTL (Longueuil)
Like the STL, the RTL is offering free service for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and is asking for donations in lieu of fares.
From their PDF guide:
- Dec. 24 (free service):
- Regular weekday schedule for lines 91, 92, T22, T89
- Saturday schedule for lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 29, 32, 41/43, 49, 50, 54, 61, 74, 75, 88, 132, T18, T20, T48 and T92 p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 19.0px; font: 13.0px Georgia}
- Special schedule for lines 8, 13, 17, 20, 23, 123, 35, 42, 44, 45, 54, 73, 77, 80, 81, 83, 99 and T77 (see PDF flyer for complete schedule) p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 19.0px; font: 13.0px Georgia}
- No service on other lines
- Dec. 25:
- Sunday schedule for all routes
- Dec. 26:
- Sunday schedule for all routes
- Dec. 27-30:
- Regular service for all routes according to the day of the week
- Dec. 31 (free service):
- Regular weekday schedule for lines 91, 92, T22, T89
- Saturday schedule for lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 29, 32, 41/43, 49, 50, 54, 61, 74, 75, 88, 132, T18, T20, T48 and T92
- Special schedule for lines 8, 13, 17, 20, 23, 123, 35, 42, 44, 45, 54, 73, 77, 80, 81, 83, 99 and T77 (see PDF flyer for complete schedule)
- No service on other lines
- Jan. 1:
- Sunday schedule for all routes
- Jan. 2:
- Sunday schedule for all routes
AMT (commuter trains)
The AMT offers free trips on the two lines that operate on Christmas and New Year’s – Dorion/Rigaud and Deux-Montagnes.
From their website:
- Friday, Dec. 24: Regular weekday service on all lines
- Saturday, Dec. 25:
- Sunday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes and Montreal/Dorion (all trips are free)
- No service on the other lines
- Sunday, Dec. 26:
- Saturday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes
- Sunday service on Montreal/Dorion
- Dec. 27-31: Regular service on all lines according to day of the week
- Saturday, Jan. 1:
- Sunday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes and Montreal/Dorion (all trips are free)
- No service on the other lines
- Sunday, Jan. 2:
- Saturday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes
- Sunday service on Montreal/Dorion
Customer service at the AMT will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Next we need a list of all good Chinese restaurants open for christmas… :)
So….once again every major city in Canada is offering *FREE* public transit on New Year’s Eve, for people’s safety and protection, but you guessed it, not Montreal’s STM.
What does this say about Montreal? I won’t answer that.
Agreed haha! I took the last train with from the old port with some friends from out of town. There was little indication that it was the last train (at least for the unknowing tourist). It was unfortunate to see people on the other side of the track being kicked out of the metro after not being able to squeeze into the last, tightly-packed train. I’m sure that some were tourists who didn’t really know how to get around too well – sickening!
The thought of the STM offering free service is sinful but I would have no problem paying if they had the decency to run even limited metro service throughout the night. They do it on la nuit blanche but not new years? I don’t have a heart of stone, I realize that people have lives and its a holiday but with all the partying and out of towners celebrating throughout the night, this is the time to make an exception for convenience and especially safety.
When I posted that, I thought the ONLY issue to be up in arms about was no free service on New Year’s Eve.
…Then, on the actual day, I learned they were shutting down metro service shortly after midnight, ON NEW YEAR’S EVE!! To add insult to all this, when I got off at the Montmorency station (Laval terminus) on the afternoon of December 31st, there was a human chain of STM security guards blocking the exit. They were demanding each and every person show proof of payment. Two girls threw away their ticket stubs which meant an automatic $500 fine + administration fees (even though they made an honest mistake). What a bunch of bastards, not just that they’re up to their usual underhanded and seedy cash grab, but doing it on New Year’s Eve!
Furthermore, Quebec is the only region in North America where the legal blood alcohol is 0.8% (with even higher levels tolerated) whereas everywhere else it is 0.5%. Quebec, being the backwards dysfunctional society it is, is refusing to lower it.
SO, Quebec/Montreal has this…
1) Allow alcohol impaired/drunk drivers on the road
2) No offer of free bus or subway service to entice drunk drivers off the roads
3) Shut-down bus and subway services BEFORE all parties end (who leaves a New Year’s party at midnight?!)
I wonder how many people were seriously injured or died because of the mind boggling stupidity and pettiness of Montreal’s STM.
You know, if Quebec society can’t care about animal welfare (there are virtual NO animal protection laws in Quebec) you can bet it doesn’t give a damn about the welfare of human beings either. The STM, much like all else about this province, disgusts me to no end. I’m sorry if that offends anyone out there but this just isn’t right and something needs to be said! This is just one of endless examples of what’s wrong with this province…