The new branch of the REM that links Deux-Montagnes to downtown Montreal is set to open after seven years of construction on the light-rail train network. The inauguration of the 14 new stations, including prominent figures like Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier François Legault, and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, will take place on Friday.
The 14 new stations along the line are Deux-Montagnes, Grand-Moulin, Sainte-Dorothée, Île-Bigras, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Sunnybrooke, Bois-Franc, Du Ruisseau, Montpellier, Côte-de-Liesse, Ville-de-Mont-Royal, Canora, Édouard-Montpetit, and McGill. To celebrate the opening, the entire REM network will offer free rides over the weekend. However, due to an upcoming strike on Saturday and Sunday, commuters will not have access to the Metro or buses.
Pets will not be allowed on the REM during the open house weekend due to the expected high traffic volume. The new REM branch will traverse Deux-Montagnes, Laval, and the West Island before passing through the Mount Royal tunnel into downtown. Riders on this branch will also have the option to continue towards the South Shore branch, which was inaugurated in the summer of 2023.
CDPQ Infra estimates that during the morning rush hour, the branch will have the capacity to transport over 42,000 passengers between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Premier Legault praised the project’s impressive nature, highlighting the frequency and speed of the light-rail service and the challenges overcome during construction, such as the discovery of century-old explosives in the Mont-Royal tunnel.
At the inauguration news conference, Charles Emond, the current CEO of CDPQ, emphasized the significant expansion of the REM network from 17 to 50 kilometers and the quadrupling of access stations. The Deux-Montagnes branch, originally slated to open in 2024 alongside the Anse-à-l’Orme branch, is now ready for operation. The Anse-à-l’Orme branch, connecting downtown Montreal to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, is expected to open in the spring of 2026.