Montreal's REM commuter rail system to be extended

Montreal's REM commuter rail system will be extended to the boroughs of Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montréal-Nord along an underground route tracing Lacordaire Blvd.

The news, which was first reported by our sister station 98.5 FM, is expected to be officially announced Tuesday by Premier François Legault and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

The extension will apparently include 20 stations along a 30-kilometre route and feature an aboveground connection to downtown’s Central Station that will span most of René-Lévesque Blvd.

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For the unfamiliar, the Réseau express métropolitain is a light metro rapid transit system under construction in the Greater Montreal area.

The system will link several suburbs with Downtown Montreal via Central Station.

The 67-kilometre light metro rail system is to be independent of—but connected to—the existing Montreal Metro, operated by the STM. Trains on the network are expected to be fully automated and driverless, and it would become the fourth longest automated transportation system in the world, after the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit, Vancouver SkyTrain, and Dubai Metro.

The REM trains will include air-conditioning, heat, wifi, and universal accessibility to ensure a comfortable ride for everyone.