Mascouche Exo train link to REM is expected to open on Jan. 12, offering commuters a quicker route downtown. Exo says it is “confident,” based on how testing is progressing, that the commuter-train portion of Côte-de-Liesse station will be ready for seamless transfers, as noted in Exo’s Line 15 (Mascouche) customer notice.

Mascouche Exo train link to REM opens Jan. 12
PHOTO BY PIERRE OBENDRAUF /Montreal Gazette files

How the Côte-de-Liesse station connection changes trips?

The move follows the 2020 closure of the Mount Royal Tunnel to commuter trains. Since that shutdown, the Mascouche line has had to run around the western side of the mountain to reach Central Station—about a 90-minute journey—making it more practical for many riders to transfer to the Orange Line at Sauvé station instead.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

From Jan. 12, passengers can make an Exo Mascouche train REM transfer at Côte-de-Liesse. The transfer is also described in the REM FAQ on transferring to the Mascouche line. From there, the REM will take riders to McGill station in 11 minutes. Exo estimates that commuters who used to need an hour and 50 minutes to get downtown will reduce that time by almost 45 minutes.

Mascouche train schedule Jan. 12: what stays the same

A new schedule begins the same day. Exo says the Mascouche train will keep the same number of trips at similar times, but Côte-de-Liesse will serve as the terminal station rather than Central Station.

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Why the Mount Royal Tunnel can’t serve both systems?

While the REM was being built, some critics argued that ending the line at Côte-de-Liesse could discourage use of a route that cost $700 million to build and was already underused.

For broader context on the REM buildout, see Railway Supply’s report on the Montréal REM expansion. Exo notes that the Mount Royal Tunnel cannot accommodate both an automated light rail system and a conventional, piloted railway line.

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