MONTREAL — Most of the Réseau express metropolitain light rail network will be open in October, according to the head of the company overseeing construction of the Montreal-area system. But before then, the portion of the REM that is currently operating will be shut down for six weeks as part of systemwide testing.
The CBC reports that Jean-Marc Arbaud, head of CDPQ Infra, told Radio-Canada — the CBC’s French-language division — that test runs between Deux-Montagnes, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and downtown Montreal will begin in March or April. The most significant portion of the system not projected for operation this fall is the branch into Montreal Trudeau International Airport, which was a late addition to the system and is being built by the corporation in charge of the airport. It is projected to open in late 2027, completing the 41.6-mile (67-kilometer), 26-station system.
Arbaud also said the REM is working to address reliability issues, including a series of snow-related problems. The CBC reports the section of the REM now in operation — the 10.3-mile, five-station segment between Brossard and Montreal Central Station — has had nine interruptions of 20 minutes or more since Dec. 1, including three within 24 hours earlier this month.
“That’s the last point we have to sort out if we are to provide a service that passengers have every right to expect,” Arbaud told Radio-Canada. “All our contractors are well aware of this, and we monitor it on a daily basis.”
As of Feb. 1, REM operations are shut down on Saturdays and Sundays through June 29, except for the weekend of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, June 13-15. The system is also set for shortened weekday hours beginning April 2 through July 4; as of July 5, a total shutdown will begin through Aug. 17. More details on those schedule changes are available here.
The REM was initially slated for completion in 2021, but CDPQ Infra has said COVID-related issues and difficulties in converting the Mount Royal tunnel from heavy-rail to light-rail use have led to delays [see “Completion of Montreal’s REM now projected …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 15, 2024]. The project, estimated to cost Ca$7 billion in 2018, now has a projected total cost of Ca$9.4 billion ($6.41 billion U.S.) — an increase of more than Ca$1 billion from an estimate in November.
