Here's Why The STM's New AZUR Metro Train Doors Keep Jamming Up

If you’ve been riding along the metro in one of the STM’s (relatively) new Azur metro trains only to find the doors jamming with no one caught in-between, there’s a very specific reason for that. 

No, a ghost isn’t in the middle of the doors somehow causing them to jam with its spectral form. 

Like many problems in Montreal, this one can be traced back to winter. 

Salt, gravel, and even sand are used by the city and citizens alike to make the streets more walkable/rideable in winter.

And STM riders are tracking all of that debris into the metro via their boots, causing the Azur train doors to jam up. 

The sensitivity of the Azur train door sensors are somewhat to blame.

A small change to the gap within the doors will cause sensors to go off and the Azur doors won’t close automatically, explained Marc-André Lefebvre to Le Devoir, of Bombardier-Alstom, the consortium that built the trains.

A repair program is already being launched by the STM, which is quite aware of the ongoing issue plaguing the new metro trains. It’s not even the first time the STM has dealt with this type of situation. 

Back in the 90s, the older metro trains suffered from the same door-jamming problem, according to Amélie Régis, a STM spokesperson who spoke to The Gazette. 

To solve the problem, thick brushes were used to sweep all debris away from the metro doors. 

This time around, however, changes will be made to the door control system of Azur trains. Someone from Bombardier-Alstom will make the modifications, which the STM says will not impede metro service.