Montréal REM opens 33 km Deux-Montagnes section across Greater Montréal

Montréal REM takes another big step as federal, provincial, and city officials open the 33 km Deux-Montagnes section between Central Station and the municipality of Deux-Montagnes on the North Shore.

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

The line adds 14 stations, including three that connect directly with the Montréal metro, a figure also reflected in Alstom’s REM project update. 

Montréal REM ceremony brings together political and industry leaders

Prime Minister Mark Carney leads the political delegation at the inauguration alongside Québec Premier François Legault and Montréal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada. The three officials frame the opening as a key moment for the city’s rail network.

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Senior figures from the project’s financial backers also attend. Charles Emond of La Caisse, Jean-Marc Arbaud of CDPQ Infra, and Ehren Cory of the Canada Infrastructure Bank represent the institutions that structure and support long-term investment in the Montréal REM.

Industry partners stand alongside them. CEOs from Pulsar, Alstom Americas, AtkinsRéalis, and Hydro-Québec join the event and underline how many organisations now tie their strategies to the Montréal REM.

Alstom and AtkinsRéalis created Pulsar as a joint venture that operates and maintains the full 67 km REM system under a 30-year agreement, a model described in more detail in CDPQ Infra’s REM overview. In practice, this structure keeps responsibility for day-to-day performance within a single dedicated operator. 

The network uses Alstom’s Urbalis GoA4 automated signalling system and runs Alstom Metropolis metro trains. Alstom plans to deliver 106 two-car trainsets, a total of 212 railcars, to equip the Montréal REM as remaining branches open.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Carney calls the Montréal REM “a world-class infrastructure project that connects Montreal, creates thousands of well-paying jobs, and catalyzes innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors.” His remarks frame the project as both economic and social in scope.

Montréal REM expansion links North and South Shores and prepares next branch

With the Deux-Montagnes section in service, passengers can now travel across Greater Montréal from Brossard to Deux-Montagnes in a single continuous trip. The new route passes through Mount Royal and crosses the St. Lawrence River, Rivière des Prairies, and Rivière des Mille-Îles.

The Deux-Montagnes section functions as the northern branch of the Montréal REM and strengthens links across the metropolitan area. The system now connects the North and South Shores directly to downtown Montréal and supports movement along several core corridors, consistent with the role outlined on the REM official site. 

After this opening, the Montréal REM counts 50 km of operational route and 19 stations. According to project figures, the network now triples its geographical coverage and quadruples the number of stations in service compared with the start of construction seven years ago.

The Montréal REM also deepens its integration with the city’s existing transit grid. The expanded system connects with three of Montréal’s four metro lines and will later interlink with the Mascouche exo line when that service becomes available.

Technical teams continue to work on the western Anse-à-l’Orme branch while passengers start using the new Deux-Montagnes service. They plan and carry out testing and commissioning activities through spring 2026 to ready that extension for operation.

Because of this ongoing work, operators modulate the service schedule between Côte-de-Liesse and Deux-Montagnes stations. The adjustment allows teams to complete validation and integration tasks while the Montréal REM continues to expand its automated metro-style network across the region.

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