Work
Downtown sector
Édouard-Montpetit station
The new station will be located in front of Université de Montréal’s Pavillon Marie-Victorin. The underground station will be 70 metres (20 storeys) below ground, making it the second deepest in North America.
Excavation of the station’s platforms by controlled blasting will begin in early June and will be completed in fall 2020. Construction of the station (installation of the steel structure and pouring of concrete for the foundations in the main shaft) will also begin in June.
McGill station
McGill station will be beneath McGill College Avenue in the very heart of downtown, and will offer access to Montréal’s green metro line and its extensive underground shopping and restaurant network (RÉSO). It will also be connected to the Montréal Eaton Centre and Place Montréal Trust.
From mid-May 2020, there will be an intensification of work, which will include completing the excavation of McGill station, the demolition of the Mont-Royal Tunnel arch, the excavation of the station’s platforms, and the construction of the station’s foundations.
This work will be carried out on McGill College Avenue (between De Maisonneuve Boulevard West and Sainte-Catherine Street West) and at the intersection of De Maisonneuve Boulevard West and McGill College Avenue.
Central station
REM’s Gare Centrale station will be in the same location as the current station, and will offer access to Montréal’s green orange line and its extensive underground shopping and restaurant network (RÉSO).
Major work will begin on the station’s construction, which will initially include the removal of existing railway infrastructure, the installation of equipment (e.g. plumbing, electricity, ventilation, elevators, etc.), the creation of openings between platform level and street level, and the construction of the future central platform for the REM.
Griffintown sector
Southbound overpass
Ultimately, the REM will run over the southbound overpass and elevated railway structure leading to Central Station from De la Commune Street. REM will use the tracks on the west side, while the other tracks will still be used by exo, Via Rail and Amtrak.
Work to rehabilitate and repair that structure is in progress.
From mid-May 2020, work will begin on the overpass to replace the railway tracks on the west side so as to accommodate the REM. This work involves the removal of catenaries, rails and ballast, followed by repairs before new infrastructure can be installed. Night work will be required in order to prevent disrupting rail traffic during the day.
De la Commune / Smith sector
Between the Lachine Canal and De La Commune Street, the REM will run on a structure that will be located on the slope along Smith Street, running parallel to the existing railway tracks. At De La Commune Street, it will run over the south overpass.
Toward the end of spring 2020, work will resume in the De la Commune/Peel and Smith sectors to widen the De la Commune bridge and create a dedicated REM track. Development work on the embankment along Smith Street will also begin, with drainage work and the construction of retaining walls.
Pointe-Saint-Charles sector
In this sector, the REM will be elevated and run alongside the existing Canadian National railroad tracks. Construction of the elevated structure progressed well in the Marc Cantin sector, and will continue on the rest of the route in Pointe-Saint-Charles in the next months.
The main components of the REM’s elevated structure are presented below:
South of the Lachine canal, an electrical substation will be installed and the frames, beams and deck of the elevated structure will be installed by fall 2020.
Nuns’ Island sector
Île-des-Sœurs
Construction of the Île-des-Sœurs channel bridge and the elevated structure is underway. Work is also continuing on the station’s foundation :
Samuel-De Champlain Bridge
Work is in progress to prepare for the installation of the track base and the catenary posts on the central span of the bridge.
Works info
All obstructions
Road
Continuation of construction work on the infrastructure of the REM on Île-des-Sœurs
DetailsPublic meetings
Visit our Events page to access summaries of the past meetings.
Latest news
Griffintown–Bernard-Landry station unveiled
Published on June 22, 2020Resuming REM work sites in a time of pandemic
Published on May 21, 2020COVID-19: Construction activities to resume on May 11
Published on March 24, 2020Behind the scenes of Édouard-Montpetit worksite
After excavating the main shaft, the teams are starting a new step: digging the station’s galleries, at a depth of 56 to 70 metres.
FAQ
Downtown Montréal
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.
Yes. The arrival of the REM will require the development of new access points for the REM station and a dedicated central platform, as well as modifications to meet the principles of universal access.
The work will generate noise, vibrations and dust. The sidewalk will be closed in front of Pavillon Marie-Victorin, but no road closures are planned.
We are aware of the inconveniences that construction work can generate in a residential zone and near education and infant care institutions. All appropriate measures will be put in place to minimize impact on surrounding residents, including the use of acoustic screens and of a sprayer (fine droplets of water) to keep dust down, and a close monitoring of noise, air quality and vibrations.
For more information about the REM, read our FAQ. If you have a specific question about the REM construction in your area, email or call us.
Architectural renders of the stations are presented in our Photos and videos section.
Environmental, technical and financial studies are available in our Documentation section.