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For the first time in over a decade, Montreal is adding an underground train garage to its métro system to increase service on its overcrowded Orange Line.

On Tuesday morning, the Société de transport de Montréal gave a tour of the facility and tunnels located 30 metres underground. The process involves tunnelling 650 metres to connect the future garage to the Côte-Vertu métro station, which is at the northern terminus of the western end of the Orange Line. It is similar to the process of constructing any métro tunnel — slowly and laboriously carving through the thick rock that lies far beneath the city’s streets, homes and parks.

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Why?

The Orange Line reached capacity in 2011, and has since surpassed it, STM officials noted. About 35 to 36 trains run on the line every day, getting to stations every two minutes and 30 seconds during rush hour. By building an underground garage that can house 10 additional train cars that will run at rush hours, they can increase service to every two minutes, a 25-per-cent boost in capacity. Côte-Vertu station already has a garage that holds 10 trains. Another 20 can be housed at the Henri-Bourassa station garage, and five at Montmorency.