MR-73
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 15, 1942 |
| Headquarters | La Pocatière, Quebec , Canada |
| Products | MR-73 rubber-tired metro trains |
MR-73 Metro Train
The MR-73 (Matériel roulant conçu en 1973) represents the second generation of rubber-tired metro trains operating within the Montreal Metro system. Produced by Bombardier Transportation at their La Pocatière facility in Quebec, the MR-73 began service in November 1976.
After the phase-out of the initial MR-63 series, the MR-73 units now serve three of Montreal’s four Metro lines: the Green, Yellow, and Blue Lines. These trains are arranged in sets of three cars and typically operate as six- or nine-car formations, accommodating roughly 1,440 passengers per train (with a capacity of 700 on the Blue Line). Notable technical specifications include car bodies constructed from lightweight steel alloys, traction control systems utilizing Jeumont-Schneider chopper technology, and dynamic braking employing wooden brake shoes. While designed for speeds up to 80 km/h, their operational speed is generally capped at 72 km/h.
Between 2005 and 2008, the MR-73 fleet underwent a comprehensive refurbishment aimed at prolonging their operational lifespan. Presently, out of the 423 units built between 1974 and 1980, 360 remain active. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) oversees maintenance and operations from several depots, including Plateau d'Youville and Côte-Vertu.
Plans are in place to replace the MR-73 fleet by 2036, coinciding with six decades since their introduction.
History
During the early 1970s, the Commission de transport de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal (CTCUM), which later became the STM, sought to expand its rolling stock to accommodate increased ridership anticipated for the 1976 Summer Olympics and future network growth.
Contract award
Montreal’s Mayor Jean Drapeau played a pivotal role by encouraging snowmobile manufacturer Bombardier to submit a bid. Although the MR-73 design was finalized in 1973, Bombardier officially secured the contract from CTCUM in 1974. A competing lower bid from Canadian Vickers, known for producing MR-63 trains, was rejected due to a wiring technicality. This decision granted Bombardier its first major public transit manufacturing contract.
Construction and entry into service
Lacking prior experience in Canadian metro train production, Bombardier partnered with French engineering firm SOFRETU and an Austrian subsidiary specializing in tram construction. From 1974 until 1980, Bombardier’s La Pocatière plant produced 423 MR-73 cars, which entered revenue service beginning in 1976. The original interiors featured orange-and-white seating arranged in both transverse and longitudinal configurations.
Automated announcements and visual information
In the early 1990s, Alstom Télécité installed LED visual information displays above alternating side windows across all MR-73 cars. These screens provided advertisements, weather forecasts, and details about upcoming stations. Additionally, automated next-station audio announcements were introduced throughout the fleet, voiced by Judith Ouimet.
Interior refurbishment
Starting in December 2005, a $40 million modernization program updated the three-decade-old MR-73 trains, which had maintained high reliability with a Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF) exceeding in 2004. The refurbishment included reconfiguring seating arrangements to increase standing room by removing six seats per car, installing new hand poles and vandal-resistant panels featuring an ergonomic color palette, and implementing full-spectrum lighting designed to minimize motion sickness while offering therapeutic benefits. Driver cabins were also upgraded with ergonomic enhancements and digital instrument panels. This overhaul was completed by 2008.
Door closing chime
Between 2006 and 2008, several door chime sounds were trialed on MR-73 trains but failed to gain acceptance. By 2010, a distinctive three-tone sequence mimicking the electric chopper traction control sound was introduced. This was briefly paired with a recorded announcement by Michèle Deslauriers saying Attention, nous fermons les portes (Attention, we are closing the doors). The spoken message was soon discontinued, and since 2012, only the three-tone chime has been used on MR-73 trains to indicate door closure.
Retirement and replacement
The STM initially intended to operate the MR-73 fleet through at least 2036, as announced in 2014. However, less dependable cars have been phased out, with 63 units dismantled from June 2021 to accommodate the arrival of MPM-10 Azur trains. Notably, car number 79-501 was sent back to its original manufacturing facility in La Pocatière (currently under Alstom ownership) in June 2021.
In 2022, STM revealed plans for a full replacement of MR-73 trains during the 2030s. The procurement process has begun with an anticipated expenditure of $2.9 billion. To boost capacity on the Green Line by 37%, enhancements to maintenance depots, signalling infrastructure, and new trainsets will be necessary.
Description
MR-73 cars are characterized by rectangular headlights on the cab ends, side ventilation grilles, interiors decorated in blue and dark orange hues, and traction motors that emit a distinctive three-note acceleration sound. This unique auditory signature arises from the chopper traction motor control system modulating current across five frequencies (90, 120, 180, 240, and 360 Hz), with the final three tones being prominently audible. Thanks to these choppers, the trains achieve an initial acceleration rate of ().
Interestingly, these propulsion tones correspond to the opening three notes of Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," which was also Expo 67’s theme; this resemblance is purely coincidental. In 2010, these notes were adopted as the official door closing signal for the Montréal Metro and became part of STM’s brand identity.
The chopper technology traces its origins to a Canron prototype based on Jeumont’s early 1970s design tested on MR-63 trains. Until their retirement in 2018, some Green Line MR-63 trains operated with this system, producing a distinctive five-tone sound signature.
Initially, certain MR-73 cars displayed murals depicting scenes of Montreal on their end panels; these artworks were removed due to vandalism issues.
The MR-73 employs an electrical braking mechanism that recovers energy by converting traction motors into generators during braking phases. This regenerated power is fed back into the traction supply network for use by other trains, improving overall energy efficiency especially when one train accelerates while another decelerates.
By 2004, the MR-73 fleet had achieved a Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF) exceeding .
Lines serviced
- Green Line (1976–1985, resumed service from 2016 onwards)
- Orange Line (1976–2019)
- Yellow Line (1976–2008 and again from 2017 to present)
- Blue Line (in operation since 1986)
Formation (as of December 2021)
| Line # | Colour | Number of trains | Composition | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | style="color: white; background-color: #Template:Rcr" | | 13 (117 cars)
No weekend service |
{79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} + {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} + {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} | MR-73 units alongside MPM-10 Azur trains replaced older MR-63 models. |
| 4 | style="background: #Template:Rcr" | | 5 (45 cars) | {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} + {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} + {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} | |
| 5 | style="background: #Template:Rcr" | | 18 (108 cars) | {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} + {79-xxx} + 78-xxx + {79-xxx} | Three-car sets were used between 1986 and 2002 and during off-peak times until 2006. |
Media appearances
The MR-73 trainsets made a short appearance in the 2014 music video for "Tidal Wave," performed by the Canadian band Made Them Lions, featuring scenes filmed at Villa-Maria station.