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.
Here’s what there is to expect as far as schedule changes this weekend and next:
STM (Montreal, including the entire metro)
Details from the STM’s website. For details on adapted transit or customer service, consult their page.
Note that from Dec. 24 to Jan. 8, the STM offers its Family Outings plan, which allows an adult to bring up to five children under 12 to ride for free with a fare-paying adult. (Normally this is allowed only during weekends and statutory holidays.) This does not apply to the 747 bus.
- Saturday, Dec. 24:
- Buses and metro service will follow a regular Saturday schedule.
- Sunday, Dec. 25:
- Most bus routes will run on a Sunday schedule.
- Metro trains will pass about every 10-12 minutes on the green line and every 10 minutes on the other lines.
- Monday, Dec. 26:
- Most bus routes will run on a special schedule.
- Metro service will run on a special schedule, with additional trains added to the Orange and Green lines from 8:30am to 7pm to accommodate rabid Boxing Day shoppers.
- Monday to Friday shared taxi service will not be in operation.
- Dec. 27-30: Normal weekday schedules for all services.
- Saturday, Dec. 31:
- Buses, metro and taxi service will follow a regular Saturday schedule.
- Once again, there’s no extension of metro service despite how many people are out celebrating New Year’s Eve, but because it happens to be on a Saturday people get a half-hour more than usual. Last trains of the night leave the two blue line terminuses at 12:15am, in all five directions from Berri at 1:30am and from Longueuil at 1:30am.
- Sunday, Jan. 1:
- Bus routes will follow Sunday 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.
- Monday, Jan. 2:
- Bus routes and metro trains will follow a special schedule.
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.
- Saturday, Dec. 24: Saturday schedule. Free service on all routes.
- Sunday, 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.
- All other routes will have full regular Sunday service.
- Monday, Dec. 26: Saturday schedules in effect for all routes.
- Dec. 27-30: Regular weekday schedules for all routes.
- Saturday, Dec. 31: Saturday schedule. Free service on all routes.
- Sunday, 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.
- All other routes will have full regular Sunday service.
- Monday, Jan 2: Saturday 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:
- Saturday, Dec. 24 (free service): Saturday schedule for all routes
- Sunday, Dec. 25: Sunday schedule for all routes
- Monday, Dec. 26:
- Saturday schedules for most routes.
- Saturday schedule with additional departures on lines 8, 35, 45, 80.
- Weekday schedule for taxi lines T22 and T89.
- Dec. 27-30: Regular weekday service for all routes
- Saturday, Dec. 31 (free service): Saturday schedule for all routes
- Sunday, Jan. 1:
- Sunday schedule for all routes
- Monday, Jan. 2:
- Saturday schedules for most routes.
- Saturday schedule with additional departures on lines 8, 35, 45, 80.
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:
- Saturday, Dec. 24: Regular Saturday service on all lines
- Sunday, Dec. 25:
- Sunday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes and Montreal/Dorion (all trips are free)
- Monday, Dec. 26:
- Saturday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes
- Sunday service on Montreal/Dorion
- No service on other lines
- Dec. 27-30: Regular weekday service on all lines
- Saturday, Dec. 31: Regular Saturday service on all lines
- Sunday, Jan. 1:
- Sunday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes and Montreal/Dorion (all trips are free)
- Monday, Jan. 2:
- Saturday service on Montreal/Deux-Montagnes
- Sunday service on Montreal/Dorion
- No service on other lines
Customer service at the AMT will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
So, once again this year, on New Year’s Eve the STM is *refusing* to offer free service or extend its operating hours.
This despite EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY IN CANADA doing the opposite. Yes, every other city in Canada is offering free passage on buses and subways, and well into the morning hours. This to ensure people out partying don’t drink and drive, resulting in injuries or deaths.
Why is it Quebec has to be so backwards from the rest of the world? Disgusting, Montreal’s disregard for citizens’ health and safety. This is yet one more reason I loath the STM.
Quebec != Montreal. Plenty of transit agencies in Quebec offered free service on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, including the STL, RTL and AMT.
I stand corrected. :) You’re right, Laval and the South Shore transit systems offered free service last night (Laval also stands head and heals above Montreal in that its buses have online GPS tracking and real-time ETA clocks at stops!).
This still doesn’t change the pettiness and apathy of the STM though. Why weren’t fares free on New Year’s Eve, or at least service extended well past midnight? This isn’t about a holiday gift, it’s about helping to keep citizens safe! You can bet there were more drunk drivers on the road last night because of the STM.
Montreal leads the world in being backwards! :P
Dear Mr. Fagstein, I was wondering if these peoplecould get themselves organized enough so that we could actually have free service all over the place on the same day. My kids are young and we have a car. they have never ridden in a metro or a city bus but want to each time one drives by our car. When the RTL is free one dayand the STL another day but never the STM, you stil have to decide whether you want to pay for the missing link or not.
It would be nice if I could leave Longueuil take the metro go to laval all for free in one day.
I think that would help alot more people if they would coordinate it this way. Can you tell them this please. If you celebrate Christmas, then Merry Christmas! If not, then Happy and safe holidays!