Saint-Laurent Requests Extension of the REM to VIA Rail / Exo station

SAINT-LAURENT, QC, April 3, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - At the general meeting held on April 2, 2019, the Saint-Laurent Council asked the Montréal Agglomeration and the Caisse de dépôt de placement du Québec Infra (CDPQ Infra) to modify the original concept of the REM (the Réseau express métropolitain or Metropolitan Express Network, as it is called in English) in order to provide for an extension between the REM station located at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (ADM) and the intermodal station consisting of the Via Rail and Exo stations.

Quote
"Extending the REM to Saint-Laurent will help develop the mobility of our residents and workers. To be fully successful, this major innovation must be planned in such a way as to promote intermodality with all existing means of transportation. For a number of months now, we have been asking for the extension of the orange line to the Bois-Franc metro station in order to serve, along with the REM, those residents living west of Autoroute 15 as well as workers in the hub of business activity in the western part of our municipality. The residents in the southwest must not be forgotten: that would be the purpose of this new connection between the airport and the VIA Rail and Exo station. It would also provide a major intermodal public transit hub around the international airport which, linked to regional train service, would cover all regions of Québec. These developments would be perfectly in line with the sustainable mobility services that Saint-Laurent wants to offer as a sustainable municipal territory."

Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent

Highlights
The REM project proposes to integrate downtown Montréal, the South Shore, the West Island (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue), the North Shore (Deux-Montagnes) and Montréal-Trudeau Airport into one single, 67-km fully automated light rail transit system, including 26 stations and 20 hours of service per day, 7 days a week.

The 5 stations in Saint-Laurent will be located at the Technoparc, Bois-Franc, Ruisseau and Montpellier stations as well as on Autoroute 40.

The REM project will consist of high-frequency autonomous electric shuttle service between the airport, downtown Montréal as well as interconnections with the Montréal metro system. This should benefit airport passengers and employees. Nevertheless, the development of the airport entails a traffic flow issue with a potential additional influx of commuters, if there was no extension of the REM to the VIA Rail / Exo station.

The heads of ADM, VIA Rail and the City of Dorval are also in favour of this extension of the REM project.

Related links

Réseau express métropolitain (REM)
Aéroports de Montréal
City of Dorval

About the Borough of Saint-Laurent 
Having celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018, Saint-Laurent is one of the 19 boroughs in Ville de Montréal. As sustainable development is at the heart of all its decisions, the Borough declared itself a "sustainable municipal territory" on January 8, 2019. Its population of over 100,000, is one of the most multicultural: 81% of its residents are immigrants or have a parent born in another country. Located at the crossroads of Montréal's main highways with great accessibility to public transit, the Borough extends over 42.8 square kilometres in area. More than 70% of its territory is devoted to industrial and commercial activities. With 4500 companies and 110,000 jobs, it is in fact the second largest employment pool on the island of Montréal. It also boasts one of Québec's main industrial and technological centres. And last but not least, with its two libraries, its Centre des loisirs (recreation centre), its new Sports Complex, its arena and some 50 parks, Saint-Laurent offers a wide range of services in many fields, such as culture, sports and recreation. In this way, the Borough ensures a high quality of life for the families and businesses within its community. 

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent