Downtown Montréal

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.

The main shaft of the Édouard-Montpetit station is complete and excavation of the station galleries has begun. This phase will continue until the winter of 2020. On the site, drilling and controlled micro-blasting are taking place; excavated materials are then being loaded and trucked out. During the winter of 2020, station construction (structural and concrete work as well as equipment installation) will begin.

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.

McGill station excavation began on McGill College and construction work on the underground pedestrian tunnel that will connect the REM station to the McGill metro station continue on West Maisonneuve.

The work is carried out on De Maisonneuve Boulevard West (between Robert-Bourassa Boulevard and McGill College Avenue), and on McGill College Avenue (between De Maisonneuve Boulevard West and Sainte-Catherine Street West.

Central station

Preparatory work will be carried out in 2019 in order to schedule work for 2020. This preparation includes technical surveying, inspection and minor work.

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).

Work on the technical and electrical rooms, as well as construction of the future station access will continue through the winter of 2020.

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. Roadways with closed lanes or disrupted traffic patterns will be progressively reopened by the end of 2019. Occasional projects will continue in 2020.

However, beginning in 2020, work on the overpass to replace the railway tracks on the west side will begin, to accommodate the REM. It will involve removing the catenaries, rails and ballast. In late 2019, a logistics zone will be set up in the William basin area to accommodate this work. Work at night will be required, 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.

In the fall of 2019 and early 2020, work to prepare for construction of REM infrastructures in that area will begin.  It will primarily include the following activities:

• Relocation of public utilities (phone cables)
• Removal of existing infrastructures on the De La Commune railway bridge (bridge portals and curbing)
• Construction of an access ramp between the railway tracks and Brennan Street
• Construction of pile foundations at the intersection of Smith and De La Commune Streets

In early 2020, work to widen the De La Commune overpass will begin, to create a dedicated REM track. Work on the slope will also begin, with drainage work and construction of retaining walls and a pillar.

Bassin Peel

The Peel Basin station, which is part of the reference project, is planned for Griffintown, north of the Peel Basin. Technical studies are in progress to determine the exact location and conditions for constructing this station.

Lachine Canal area

Construction of the elevated structure that will cross the Lachine Canal is almost complete. Finish work on the deck and work to prepare for installing the electrical systems and rails will begin in the coming months.

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.

Ile-des-Soeurs

Construction of the elevated structure that will cross the Île-des-Sœurs Channel is almost complete. Construction of the REM’s Île-des-Sœurs Station and elevated structure in this sector will begin in late 2019.

Visit our Events page to access summaries of the past meetings.

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.