Listen to this article
Estimated 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The new West Island branch of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has officially arrived, bringing light-rail service to an area historically underserved by public transit.
The expansion introduces four new stations across 14 kilometres, stretching from the western edge of Dorval to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
“It’s going to be a real game changer for the people of the West Island,” said Carl Corbel, the REM’s director of operations with CDPQ Infra.
“Going to the Bell Centre, for example, in 35 minutes is really going to be amazing for people who live around here.”
Commuters can ride the branch for free during certain hours this weekend, and regular service begins Monday.
Here is a look at the new stations and the potential hurdles facing commuters.
WATCH | Take a tour of the new REM stations:
West Island commuters, your new REM line is here
Montreal’s light-rail network now has a 14-kilometre, four-station branch in the West Island. Here’s a look at the new stations on the line that should get riders downtown in around 30 minutes.
Des Sources station
Located on Des Sources Boulevard by Highway 40, this station sits on the industrial border of Pointe-Claire and Dorval.
It connects to eight bus lines, and features 50 bike spaces and 484 parking spots.
Pointe-Claire Mayor John Belvedere expressed concern that parking won’t be sufficient for the volume of commuters.
He told CBC efforts are underway to improve access, calling it a “work in progress.”
The Des Sources station in Pointe-Claire. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
Fairview–Pointe-Claire station
This station is directly in front of the Fairview shopping mall, a major West Island hub.
It connects to the mall and a network of 16 bus lines, as well as 50 spots for bikes. On Friday, the REM announced that 300 free parking spaces will be available near the station.
Belvedere warned, however, that there is “no safe passage across for pedestrians or bikers,” adding that’s his “biggest fear.”
“These things, we will work out and work together in the future. If we want to be successful, we have to get these kinks out of the system.”
Kirkland station
Located by Highway 40, near Bénévoles Park, this station is arguably the most pedestrian-friendly of the four due to its proximity to residential areas.
Two overpasses allow residents south of the highway to reach the station. It features 60 bike spaces and serves the 211 and 229 bus lines.
There are 200 parking spaces dedicated exclusively to Kirkland residents.
The new line includes four stops over 14 kilometres. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
Anse-à-l’Orme station
The end of the line is located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, surrounded largely by woodland and Ste-Marie Road.
A new terminal at the site connects to eight bus lines, and it has 20 spots for bikes. There are 216 parking spaces open to the general public.
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Mayor Michel Boudreault told CBC he is worried about the station’s access via a single two-lane road, suggesting congestion could be a problem.
“We’re expecting some traffic issues especially at night and we’ll monitor the situation for the next couple of months and see what kind of solutions we can bring,” he said.
REM officials Julien Hurel, left, and Carl Corbel. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
REM ‘constantly making improvements’
Corbel said he acknowledged access to the new stations is a work in progress.
“We will see once the REM is open how people want to come to the stations, and we’ll be constantly making improvements,” he said.
He said the REM has entered into partnerships with Communauto and Bixi, worked with the STM on bus routes and is in ongoing discussions with municipalities.
“We do recognize that people have no other choice sometimes to take their cars, so we built parking lots when it was possible,” Corbel said.
As well, REM vice-president Julien Hurel said the light-rail network is working to improve the reliability of the network.
The REM has come under criticism for breakdowns, particularly during the winter months.
Overall, Hurel said the REM has had an availability rate of 99 per cent.
“We don’t want our users to think twice when they have an appointment with the doctor or have an exam,” he said.
“They should feel the REM is the best means to transport them to their destination.”
Hurel said he expects the REM to transform the West Island, just as it has the South Shore, where trains began running in 2023.
“We’ve seen that in the South Shore, 50 per cent of the construction is within one kilometre of the station,” he said.
While the West Island branch is now operational, commuters hoping to take the train directly to Trudeau airport in Dorval will have to wait until at least late 2027.
WATCH | A preview of the REM stop at the airport:
Inside the Montreal airport’s REM station, and what it will look like when it opens next year
Travellers will have to wait until the end of 2027 to be able to go between Montreal and Trudeau airport via the REM light-rail network. How far has the construction of the site come?
