Yellow Line (Montreal Metro)

The Yellow Line (French: Ligne jaune), formerly also known as Line 4 (French: Ligne 4), is one of the Montreal Metro's four routes operating in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was popular when it opened for service because it connected Montreal's city centre with the Expo 67 exhibition and La Ronde on Île-Sainte-Hélène. The Yellow Line has three stations, and travels under the St. Lawrence River between the island of Montreal and Longueuil. It was part of the initial network of the Metro, and numbered in conjunction with Line 3, a route that was later cancelled. It is also the first Metro line to leave the island. All three stations on the line have been renamed since their opening.

Yellow Line / Ligne Jaune
Jean-Drapeau station
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Montreal Metro
Locale	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Termini	Berri-UQAM (north) Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke (south)
Stations	3
Operation
Opened	April 1, 1967 (opened to public April 28, 1967)
Operator(s)	Société de transport de Montréal (STM)
Depot(s)	None (Berri-UQAM connecting track links line 4 with lines 1 and 2 so that trains can access Angrignon, Beaugrand and Plateau d'Youville garages)
Rolling stock	Bombardier Transportation MR-73 cars
Technical
Line length	4.25 km (2.64 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	"Third rail", 750 V DC on the guide bars at either side of the track
Operating speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Route map Berri-UQAM to Green & Orange lines Saint Lawrence River Jean-Drapeau Saint Lawrence River Le Moyne Channel Longueuil announced extension announced extension Joliette tentative name Vieux-Longueuil tentative name Chambly/Gentilly tentative name Curé-Poirier tentative name Jacques-Cartier tentative name

History

In November 1961, Montreal City Council decided to build the Metro network. The Yellow Line was not part of the original plans. A year later, however, Montreal's bid to host the 1967 World's Fair (Expo 67) was accepted. Construction of the Red Line (line 3) was cancelled, and instead the Yellow Line was built to develop the exhibition site on two islands in the St. Lawrence River and to connect the rapidly growing suburb of Longueuil.[1] The opening of the line took place on April 1, 1967. In the first four weeks, the station on Saint Helen's Island served only the construction workers of the Expo site. It finally opened to the public on April 28, 1967, the day after the official opening of Expo 67.

Future extensions

In June 2008 the City of Montreal proposed a number of service improvements and Metro extensions, including projecting the Yellow Line from Berri-UQAM to McGill station to ease congestion on that part of the Green Line.[2] In December 2011, an extension to Longueuil was announced.[3]

The former Agence métropolitaine de transport (now ARTM) published a study, Vision 2020 in December 2011. According to this study, there are plans for the Yellow Line to be extended further into the city of Longueuil along Roland-Therrien Boulevard. The six new stations would connect residential areas, shopping centers and several schools.[4][5]

The six proposed stations are at the following intersections:[6]

1. Saint-Charles/Joliette
2. Saint-Charles/Saint-Sylvestre
3. Gentilly/Chambly
4. Gentilly/Roland-Therrien
5. Curé-Poirier/Roland-Therrien
6. Jacques-Cartier/Roland-Therrien

Rolling stock

From the line's opening in 1967 until 1976, MR-63 cars were used on the Yellow Line. Upon the introduction of the MR-73 cars in 1976, the latter stock displaced the older MR-63 cars. In 2008 MR-63 cars were once again in use on the Yellow Line; In 2017, the MR-63 cars began to be retired. In a matter of months, the STM has fully replaced all MR-63 cars with newer MPM-10. The last run of an MR-63 was in June 2018.

List of stations

Station	Date opened	Odonym	Namesake	Distance (km)		Transfers/Connections	Location
				Between stations	Total
Berri-UQAM formerly Berri-de Montigny	April 28, 1967	Berri Street	Simon Després dit Le Berry (Name given by Migeon de Branssat in 1669)	–	0.0	Green Line Orange Line Gare d'autocars de Montréal	Ville-Marie
		Université du Québec à Montréal
		De Montigny Street	Testard de Montigny family
Jean-Drapeau formerly Île Sainte-Hélène		Parc Jean-Drapeau	Jean Drapeau, mayor of Montreal	2.4	2.4
		Île Sainte-Hélène	Named by Samuel de Champlain for his wife, born Hélène Boullé
Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke formerly Longueuil		City of Longueuil	Probably for a town in Normandy	1.6	4.0	Terminus Longueuil	Longueuil
		Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil campus	John Coape Sherbrooke (former Governor General of British North America)

See also

• Green Line
• Orange Line
• Blue Line
• Red Line (Line 3)
• List of Montreal Metro stations

References

1. "Le 14 octobre 1966, le public a enfin accès au métro!" (in French). Societé de transport de Montréal. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
2. Deux nouvelles stations en vue Archived 2011-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Railway Gazette: Montreal's 2020 vision". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
4. "The future of public transit: Major projects". Vision 2020. Agence métropolitaine de transport. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
5. "Le prolongement de la ligne 4 du métro dans Longueuil" (in French). Réseau de transport de Longueuil. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
6. "Le prolongement de la ligne 4 du métro dans Longueuil" (in French). Réseau de transport de Longueuil. Retrieved 10 September 2012.