Montreal Metro - OPUS

OPUS

On April 21, 2008, the STM unveiled the contactless smart card called OPUS (a play on the French phrase au puce, which is the word for the chip used in the cards) as a means of fare payment. In preparation for this new step in Montreal's public transportation network, turnstiles which incorporate the reader and automated vending machines had already been installed in metro stations; buses had previously been fitted with new fare boxes that incorporate the card reader, in order to ensure the uniformity of methods of payment across Montreal's transit network and that of its suburbs.

One advantage to the smart card compared to the previous system is the seamless integration with other transit networks of neighbouring cities, eliminating the need to carry small change or purchase different tickets. The same can be said of the commuter train service, run by the Agence métropolitaine de transport, that requires the purchasing of a ticket different from those offered by the STM. Another advantage relates to the speed at which users can access the system. As opposed to the magnetic stripe cards previously in use, which had been sold alongside the new OPUS cards up until May 2009, the contactless smart card is more user-friendly in that not only will the card not risk becoming demagnetized and rendered useless, but it also does not require patrons to slide the card in a particular way—proximity to the contactless reader will suffice.

Costs to the STM related to the project are approximately $138 million, compared to the original estimated cost of some $100 million. The project was originally supposed to be implemented in 2006.