Réseau électrique métropolitain
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec |
| Locale | Greater Montreal |
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Number of lines | 4 |
| Number of stations | 24 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 2020 (planned) |
| Operator(s) | Agence métropolitaine de transport |
| Technical | |
| System length | 67 km (42 mi)[1] |
| Electrification | 25 kV AC 60 Hz |
| Top speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
The Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM; English: Metropolitan Electric Network) is a planned rapid transit system for the Greater Montreal area around Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The system would link several suburbs with Downtown Montreal via Central Station, involving the conversion of the existing Deux-Montagnes commuter rail line to rapid transit standards. A station at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport would serve as the terminus of one of the four branches.
The 67 km long system would be built at an estimated cost of $5.5 billion and be part of the Agence métropolitaine de transport network, independent from the existing rubber-tyred Montreal Metro operated by STM. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is expected to contribute $3 billion for the new system, with help from Transport Canada and Transports Québec to cover the rest.[1]
Trains on the network are expected to be fully automated and driverless, becoming the third longest automated rapid transit system in the world, after the Dubai Metro and the Vancouver Skytrain.[1]
History
On January 13, 2015, Quebec premier Philippe Couillard and Michael Sabia, CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec agreed to a partnership in which the crown corporation would assume financing for major transportation projects in the province, with $7.4 billion planned to be spent on infrastructure from 2014 to 2024.
On April 22, 2016, Sabia and Montreal mayor Denis Coderre unveiled the project to the media. According to Sabia, construction is expected to begin in Spring 2017 with a completion date in late 2020 or early 2021.
Route
The primary route will be based around the Mount Royal Tunnel, where new underground stations are proposed to be built to connect with the existing McGill and Édouard-Montpetit Metro stations. New connections with commuter rail will be built at Canora (to the Saint-Jérôme line) and a new station near the A-40 (to the Mascouche line).
Southeast from Gare Centrale, the line will follow existing rail lines past Cité du Havre and cross to Île des Sœurs, then use a rail deck constructed on the new Champlain Bridge to cross the St. Lawrence. Three stations in Brossard on the south shore are to be built: Panama, Du Quartier (for the DIX30 commercial district), and Rive-Sud; while one station, Chevrier, is planned.
The northwest branch would be a direct conversion of the existing Deux-Montagnes line, which will require doubling of the tracks beyond Bois-Franc station. New branch routes on the West Island will begin near the A-13, with the airport branch making a stop in Technoparc St-Laurent before terminating at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, while the other branch will follow an existing rail corridor through Pointe-Claire and Kirkland, before terminating in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
References
- 1 2 3 Jason Magder (April 22, 2016). "Electric light-rail train network spearheaded by Caisse de dépôt to span Montreal by 2020". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved April 2016.
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