MONTREAL — The first segment of Montreal’s Réseau express metropolitan light rail system will open on July 31, construction contractor CDPQ Infra announced Friday.
The initial five-station, 16.6-kilometer (10.3-mile) segment will operate between the South Shore community of Brossard and Central Station (Gare Centrale), with a trip taking less than 18 minutes.
The much-delayed service will eventually cover 67 kilometers (41.6) miles and serve 26 stations. Most of the rest of the system is expected to open in 2024, with the branch to Montreal’s Trudeau airport opening in 2027.
The first portion of the system was originally slated to open in 2021, but as noted in a CBC report, CDPQ Infra has said circumstances ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine have prevented on-time completion.
The announcement comes a day after CDPQ Infra said it was taking steps to lessen the system’s noise issues [see “Montreal light rail system to address noise complaints,” Trains News Wire, July 7, 2023].
The automated system will use trainsets built by Alstom. Additional information on the REM network is available at its website.
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