MONTREAL — 2014 promises to be a big year for transit in Montreal. Shiny new métro cars are on the way, the first since the 1970s. A sixth commuter train line is to open, the first addition to the network in 14 years. Another first: passengers will be able to use their cellphones in downtown subway stations and tunnels. Here’s what to expect on buses, trains and the subway in the new year.

Société de transport de Montréal

New métro cars arrive

Early in 2014, the first of 468 new Bombardier/Alstom métro cars are to arrive in Montreal for testing. By the fall, the STM says the first nine-car train should be in service. The cars will give lucky riders of the Orange Line more elbow room. They will increase capacity by eight per cent, largely because of their open-concept design, which allows passengers to walk from one end to the other. The doors are wider, the windows bigger, the seats more comfortable and the interior brighter. There is no air conditioning, but the STM says better ventilation should improve comfort in the summer. If all goes according to plan, by late 2014 the STM will be receiving one nine-car train set per month. All of the 468 cars are expected by 2018.

Métro Yellow Line closed over 25 weekends

Some métro users will have to look for alternatives in 2014. The Yellow Line — which runs between Longueuil on the South Shore and the Berri-UQAM station in downtown Montreal — will be completely closed on 25 weekends so repairs can be made to the subway tunnel, including the section under the St-Lawrence River. It will be shut on weekends between March 8 and May 25 and between Sept. 13 and Dec. 14. To help stranded passengers, the STM will be putting three bus routes in place.

Cellphone service introduced in métro network

In 2014, commuters will be able to use their cellphones in the métro if they’re in the right station. The required equipment will be installed on two downtown subway stretches: on the Green Line between Atwater and Beaudry, and on the Orange Line, between Mont-Royal and Bonaventure. Bell, Rogers, Telus and Videotron are working on the project.

More city reserved bus lanes open

Several new bus lanes are planned in 2014. One is expected to go on Sherbrooke St. W. in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to encourage transit use during the two-year closure of St-Jacques St. in the spring for work related to the new Turcot Interchange. Also on the list for 2014 are lanes on Cavendish Blvd. (in St-Laurent, Côte-St-Luc and N.D.G.), Grenet St., Côte-St-Luc Rd. and Viau St. The city of Côte-St-Luc has vowed to block the introduction of bus lanes on its territory.

Commuters start tracking buses

The STM will start work on its $200-million iBus project. Among other things, it involves installing GPS, display screens and audio equipment on all of its 1,700 buses over two years. Thanks to the equipment, passengers at bus stops will be able to track buses via smartphones. At métro stations and busy stops, screens will provide real-time bus data. On board, the next stop will be announced and flashed on the screen. “At the end of 2014, if all the tests planned for the spring go well, the system will start gradually being deployed in certain buses,” an STM spokesperson said. The $200-million price tag includes a radiocommunication system for drivers.