AZUR prototype

Assembly

Bombardier-Alstom Consortium teams and our commissioning team worked for 10 days to assemble the 9 cars.

As soon as the second car arrived, the electrical connection systems, the coupling system and intercar linkages were installed between each car to create a boa-type train.

First shower

Like in a car wash, the train moves through a soap cycle. It gets washed, scrubbed, rinsed and dried from top to bottom, even on the roof.

The washing system is equipped with markers placed at the entrance that detect whether the train is an MR-73 or a new AZUR. As the train moves forward through the washing system, sensors send out signals to activate pumps and scrubbing brushes.

The bogie

As with the MR-63 and MR-73 métro cars, the AZUR train is also mounted on bogies that essentially propel the train. Bogies, or trucks, are an assembly of parts that include tires, suspension and drive axles. Together, they handle the acceleration, braking action, steering and suspension for métro trains.

If you want to know more about the bogies on AZUR cars, check out the video.

Lifting track

In preparation for the arrival of the AZUR métro cars, we completely refurbished our maintenance shops and made a number of modifications. Among them was the installation of a lifting track so that maintenance staff could replace the train’s bogies.

The lifting track can lift an entire 150-metre long train high enough for the bogies to be removed. The train itself weighs 240 tonnes, which is like lifting 40 adult elephants. This means that bogies can be removed and installed without having to unlink the nine cars that make up the AZUR train. This new approach will reduce maintenance time, which will mean more trains available for passenger service.

Simulator

The simulator reproduces the driving environment and conditions of the métro network so that operators can quickly put their knowledge into practice.

Just like airline pilots, operators accumulate driving hours in a stimulating and realistic environment. It’s a first at the STM.