STM - Society in motion
The model car is in town June 19, 2012
In October 2010, the STM awarded a contract to the Bombardier-Alstom Consortium to replace 468 métro cars.
The model car has travelled a long way before its public introduction. This full-size model is fully representative of its interior layout and exterior design.
Delivery of the new cars in 2014 will mark a historic moment for the STM and all Montrealers.
Here is a preview !
Dou-dou-dou… November 23, 2011
Dou-dou-dou… The new signal for closing doors can be heard in the métro, on the Orange and Blue lines. The new audio signature for the Montréal métro was tested in 2010 and, after a few technical adjustments following customer comments, it is currently being added gradually to all MR-73 métro cars.
Increased safety, improved passenger flow, and fewer breakdowns, these are all good reasons for adopting the audio signal, an international standard. It advises transit users to clear the doors as they are set to close almost immediately upon the audio signal being activated.
Click Metro_Doudoudou to hear the dou-dou-dou…
How does the dou-dou-dou signal work?
The audio signal can be heard when the door-closing mechanism is activated.
Two seconds later (T2), the door-closing cycle is initiated.
Two and a half seconds later (T4.5), the doors are closed and the train gets underway.
In five seconds at most, the doors are closed… so there’s no use running, another train will be by in a few minutes.
What is the reason for the dou-dou-dou ?
In substance, we feel the dou-dou-dou will:
o Prevent transit users from getting stuck between doors (and prevent further injuries).
o Prevent them from running or shoving other passengers to board the métro.
o Reduce the number of door malfunctions; on average, a door will break down once every 4 million times it opens and closes. In our métro, doors open and close over 300 million times a year.
o Prevent service delays. Did you know that in 2010, some 670 000 passengers were delayed by five minutes or more because of problems with doors ?
Why can the door-closing audio signal only be heard on the Orange and Blue lines ?The dou-dou-dou signal is being fitted aboard MR-73 cars, which operate on the 2 – Orange and 5 – Blue lines. MR-63 cars, currently in use on the Green and Yellow lines, are older than MR-73 cars and will be the first to be replaced by the future MPM-10 railcars. When that happens, MR-73 cars equipped with the dou-dou-dou signal will gradually be transferred over to the Green and Yellow lines.
Why can we sometimes hear two similar sounds a few minutes apart, and why does the recorded dou-dou-dou signal have such an electronic sound compared to the one produced by the power converter?
It is always possible for a train in the opposite direction to leave at the same time as the audio signal is heard on the first train. Indeed, after hearing the recorded signal for closing doors, one could possibly hear the “real” sound produced by the power converter (for more informations). In fact, it is for this reason that the recorded audio signal is slightly different and sounds more electronically-generated than the original one produced by the power converter. This way, the blind or visually-disabled can tell them apart.
How was the audio sound chosen?
- In 2009, six audio signals were tested (six audio signals). The idea was to synchronize the audio signal with the closing doors and then ask transit users for their opinion. None of the audio signals was chosen unanimously. However, the relevance of having an audio signal for closing doors was confirmed.
- In 2010, several Montrealers expressed their affection for the sound produced by the power converter, unique to the Montréal métro. This led the STM to electronically reproduce the sound, the famous dou-dou-dou, and to add a spoken message «Attention, nous fermons les portes», prior to conducting new tests using a train on the Orange line.
- Transit users made it clear the audio signal alone was enough, and the voice message was cancelled. Satisfied with its test results, the STM decided to go ahead with the audio signal. Currently, it is gradually overseeing its deployment aboard all métro cars operating on the Orange and Blue lines.
How fast is the dou-dou-dou being deployed ?
Installation is proceeding at a pace of one additional train per week. When activation of the audio signal begins, some 10 trains on the Orange line should feature the dou-dou-dou out of 34 trains running during rush hour.
Dou-dou-dou «Attention, nous fermons les portes…» August 9, 2010
To listen the new doudoudou metro’s sound
This new sound signals the immediate closing of doors.
It is currently being tested on a train on the Orange line, should any adjustments be needed prior to installation on all MR-73 railcars by 2012.
As some of you may have noticed, the signal replicates the well-known dou dou dou so unique to the Montréal metro…
The power converter?
Prior to recording the “dou dou dou” that signals the closing of doors, that melody already existed and could be heard when certain métro trains initiated their departure from a station. Do you know why ?
The sound is caused by a power converter on the MR-73 rolling stock used on the Orange and Blue lines. To prevent power surges and ensure the train’s smooth departure, it was necessary to cap the power used by traction motors, therefore requiring a power converter. So, the well-known “dou dou dou” was not the work of a famous composer, but rather the sound produced by the converter itself: the three notes are the musical equivalent of the precise frequencies determined by engineers for the converter’s proper operation.
As it turned out, the frequencies composed a pleasant melody that could be heard by passengers. With a few exceptions, there is no power converter on the MR-63 métro railcars used on the Green and Yellow lines, simply because the technology was not available when the older rolling stock was built…
Dou dou dou… But who’s voice is that ?
The voice announcing “Attention, nous fermons les portes…” after the dou dou dou signal is none other’s than actress Michèle Deslauriers’, the same person who has been lending her voice to all client-oriented pre-recorded messages heard in the metro since 2003. Chosen for its tone and clarity, her voice indeed carries well in our concrete stations! Over the years, her voice has woven itself into our daily routine and is appreciated by transit users. So it seemed quite natural to use her voice to accompany the dou dou dou.
Thus, Michèle Deslauriers was invited back to record the new message announcing the immediate closing of doors.
Where can the dou dou dou be heard ?
There’s no point in running…
Why is the dou dou dou signal heard almost at the same time as the doors are closing ?
The idea is for transit users to hear the signal early enough for them to stop pushing ahead and not get stuck in the doors, and late enough to know that the doors are effectively closing. Indeed, when the signal is heard too soon, we’ve noticed that people tend to run more, not knowing exactly when the doors will close or, worse, hold the doors back to keep them open. When that happens, service suffers up and down the line. Technically speaking, in fact, when someone or something gets stuck between the doors, the train operator cannot immediately reopen them, which slows down service. Therefore, when the signal is sounded, transit users arriving on the platform should know they no longer have enough time to squeeze in and should wait instead of blocking the doors. This would prevent any discomfort for the passenger, as well as service slowdowns that affect the thousands of others aboard that train and the following ones.
If Montréal has a unique character, so does its métro, and one reason is the sound produced by the power converter on certain trains. With the new sound signalling the imminent closing of doors, these three notes will gradually spread to the entire network and become the Montréal métro’s signature sound… dou dou dou !
Stay tuned, you will soon find out more !
Transport Cocktail May 3, 2010
With its innovative and ecological approach, the transportation cocktail proposes a long-term, economically-sound and performance-driven solution to individual and exclusive car use by all and at all times.
The transportation cocktail advocates a smart combination of individual transportation modes (walking, cycling, skating and car use) and mass transit modes (buses, métro, minibus, commuter trains, taxis, car-pools, car sharing, and shared taxis) for all our transportation needs, particularly towards and within city centres.
To that end, the STM has entered into partnership and joint promotions with other stakeholders in the field (self-serve bicycle rentals, car sharing, and regional public transit companies) who will grant preferential rates to transportation cocktail enthusiasts. Through these actions, the STM is creating and organizing a grassroots movement providing durable transportation options.
Adopt the transportation cocktail: it’s green, economical and performance-driven.
