REM in service
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) is the organization responsible for determining the fare grid for all transportation networks in the greater metropolitan area. The REM is integrated into the ARTM's new fare structure, which was unveiled as part of its redesign to simplify transportation tickets.
Users will have to acquire All-Modes tickets and will be able to use these for train, metro, bus and REM services.
To learn more about the new fare structure and the various transportation tickets offered, visit the ARTM website.
Departure frequency. The REM will be in service 20 hours/day, 7 days/week, with departures on the South Shore every 2.5 minutes during peak hours, and every 5 minutes during off-peak hours.
Double the capacity. The REM will significantly increase network capacity. Once it is commissioned, twice as many public transit customers will be able to cross the Champlain Bridge to Montréal.
Greater reliability for the trip home. Thanks to its dedicated corridor, the REM will take you from downtown to:
the Panama Station in less than 10 minutes, Du Quartier in 13 minutes, and Brossard in 15 minutes. The congestion that buses currently deal with when leaving downtown will be a thing of the past – make way for reliable, fast and frequent service!
Connections to metro lines. The REM will be connected to three current Montréal metro lines: the blue line via Édouard-Montpetit Station, the green line via McGill Station, and the orange line, via Central Station. You can also get to the airport, the West Island and the North Shore.
Departure frequency. The REM will operate 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, with departures every 2 min 30 during peak hours and every 5 min in off-peak hours between Gare Centrale and Bois-Franc. Between Bois-Franc and Deux-Montagnes, trains will depart every 5 min during peak hours and every 15 min in off-peak hours.
Capacity. The capacity on the Deux-Montagnes line will increase significantly. For example, during morning peak hours between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., the REM will serve 42,100 people (compared to 17,100 currently).
New connections. The REM will connect to Montréal’s three existing metro lines: blue (Édouard-Montpetit), green (McGill) and orange (Bonaventure). You will also be able to get to the Montréal-Trudeau Airport, Technoparc Montréal on the South Shore and the West Island.
Different cars. REM trains are not commuter trains; their cars are more like metro cars from a technological standpoint. REM cars are smaller but will run much more frequently, which explains the significant increase in capacity. The space will be designed for smooth passenger flow at transfer station entrances and exits (poles, bars, wider spaces). Cars will be heated, air conditioned and connected to the Wi-Fi.
Equipped stations. REM stations will be enclosed, covered, climate controlled and sheltered from the elements. You will wait for the REM on a platform separated from the tracks by an automated screen door system (it will no longer be possible to drop objects on or to cross the track; safety and reliability will thus be improved). All stations will have elevators and be accessible to persons with reduced mobility.
Community, works and schedule
Construction work on the REM began in March 2018. To find out when construction will begin in your sector, consult the specific Work schedule page on our website. Work notices will be released in advance to inform citizens who may be affected.
Every week, we update the Works info map. It provides details on each step of the construction process and on any traffic obstructions that might occur.
Subscribe to our newsletter and alerts service, or follow us on Twitter, so you can stay informed about the progress of construction work.
Neighbourhood committees have been established in sectors affected by the construction and more are soon to come. Write us if you’re interested and wish to be part of a committee. Throughout the construction period, information meetings and other events will be organized to keep citizens informed of progress.
For more information, consult our Citizens Space:
The REM will gradually replace the Deux-Montagnes line in 2024.
The work involves replacing the train with an automated light rail transit system. The tracks and power supply will be changed over 30 km, 12 enclosed stations will be built and 3 connections will be added to the McGill and Édouard-Montpetit stations and the Mascouche line. Existing infrastructure such as the tunnel under Mount Royal and the railway bridges will also be renovated and modernized.
Service interruption sequence on the Deux-Montagnes and Mascouche lines:
- From March 30, 2020: Closure of the Central station-Du Ruisseau segment (the Deux-Montagnes line stops at Bois-Franc, the Mascouche line stops at Ahuntsic)
- From December 31, 2020: Complete closure of the Du Ruisseau segment in Deux-Montagnes
To learn more about the work and alternate transportation options, consult our specific page: Deux-Montagnes and Mascouche lines
Connexions and access to stations
All REM stations and surrounding facilities will be designed for universal access. All stations will be equipped with elevators and some with escalators, and platforms will be level with the REM car doors.
You will be able to reach the REM stations by foot, bike, public transit or car. Check our interactive map to learn more about the services at your station (parking, drop-off area, bicycle racks, etc.).
Our primary intent is to focus on a sustainable solution: public and active transit. Bus networks in various municipalities will be revised to optimize feeder service to REM’s stations. The buses will stop near the stations for quick and efficient transfer to REM's metro cars. This cooperation with transit companies will continue throughout the project to ensure optimal feeder service as soon as REM starts up.
Yes. The REM will be connected to three Montréal métro lines: the orange line via Bonaventure station (Central Station), the blue line via Édouard-Montpetit station and the green line via McGill station.
Several REM stations will provide parking spaces. The vast majority of parking spaces will be free and others will be paid. The pricing strategy is as follows:
- Only 20–30% of parking spaces will be subject to a fee, while 70–80% will be free.
- The spaces for carpooling, electric cars and universal access will be free.
- The implementation of fees will be gradual as the REM network opens.
- Fees will be reasonable, based on metropolitan practices and comparable with neighbouring modes of transportation and will take into account current demand.
The fees will be known before the REM opens. The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) has initiated a metropolitan-wide reflection on park-and-ride lots. We will closely follow the development of this metropolitan vision and align ourselves as closely as possible with the main principles established for the management and pricing of the REM’s park-and-ride lots.
To find out more about the access offer (parking, bicycle, drop-off, etc.) for each station, consult the interactive map:
Route
Yes, the REM will run on the central deck of the new Champlain Bridge, replacing the reserved bus lane. To access the bridge, the REM will run down the middle of Highway 10, between the two travel lanes. On the other side of the bridge, it will stop at Île-des-Sœurs and then continue its route toward downtown, running over a new REM bridge that will cross the Île-des-Sœurs channel.
A station at Chevrier is not planned within this project. Significant technical constraints prevent a station from being built in front of the current bus terminal.
Until the REM’s planned commissioning in 2021, the existing Chevrier terminal will continue to operate.
After the REM is commissioned, the bus station and park-and-ride lot at the Chevrier site will be moved south of Highway 30, to the REM’s Brossard Station. The agglomeration of Longueuil aims to keep the Chevrier sector as a transit-oriented development (TOD) area; the objective is to provide public transport service for this sector, with a method to be determined. To travel downtown, riders in the Chevrier sector will be directed to the REM station closest to their departure point.
In February 2018, the REM route in the Griffintown and Pointe-Saint-Charles sectors was changed. The station will now be aerial (view the interactive map). This is an important station for Montréal’s downtown neighbourhoods and for the development projects that are happening in the area. Located in Griffintown, between Ottawa and William streets, the station will be integrated into the Viaduc Sud, or “southbound overpass,” a structure that functions as a building supporting a rail bridge entering Central Station from the south.
If your question isn’t answered in the FAQ, visit our Citizens Space for more information (see areas below), or contact our team.