Hey guys welcome back to Demystified!
For our third episode we will be looking at our favorite under construction transit project
in North America: Montreal’s Regional Express Network or REM, consider following us on social
media and enjoy the video!
[Intro]
To start off I need to make something very clear, the REM uses full Metro Railcars built
by Alstom which are similar to those used in Sydney Australia’s new Sydney Metro project
as well as a number of other subway and metro systems worldwide.
The train cars are both longer and wider than those which are currently used on the Montreal
Metro, and feature a higher capacity seating layout with seats on the wall facing inward,
reminiscent of many lines in London, New York and Tokyo.
Even with total train lengths in mind a number of full “Metro” or “Subway” systems
such as those in Toronto, Paris, and Madrid use similar length trains. In addition, unlike
on the regular Montreal Metro, these new trains will feature A/C which should help greatly
with comfort in the summer months.
Now coming off my last video Demystifying London’s Crossrail (see the cards for more
on that) you may be wondering, if REM is yet another project linking two disconnected railways,
fortunately I’m happy to report REM is quite different for a number of reasons.
Unlike Crossrail in London and RER in Paris, the central section of REM as well as one
of it’s branches extending from that section are not new at all, and this includes the
tunnel deep under Mont-Royal - Montreal’s namesake and the downtown or Centre-Ville
of the city.
This tunnel, rather than being built brand new, has existed for over a century underutilized
for mainline rail and relatively infrequent commuter service and will be updated to modern
standards both from a technical and safety standpoint as part of the project.
Of course while the REM will improve service on the existing line in the long term, the
trains will be shorter - however this does not preclude a return to longer trains in
the future should patronage demand it, as the existing stations were already longer.
Beyond enhancing existing century old infrastructure with state of the art signalling, the REM
also goes a step further and connects the existing tunnel to the Montreal Metro in two
new locations at both McGill and Edouard Montpetit stations.
This is no small feat, with the latter station requiring a massive new vertical connection
to be constructed with Edouard Montpetit’s new lower platforms becoming the second deepest
station in North America after Washington Park Station in Portland.
On the periphery of the network, the REM is just as interesting, rather than the unfortunate
trend of “tunnels everywhere” the REM uses a wide range of trackage styles to best
suit the corridor. On the existing Deux Montagnes line, the REM will continue to operate on
the surface with enhancements designed to improve safety and service reliability such
as full grade separation.
In other locations such as parallel to Autoroute 40 and South of Downtown Montreal the network
will travel on an elevated guideway in existing corridors enabling the project to be constructed
incredibly rapidly, with visible progress across the greater Montreal region.
The network also finally connects Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport with the city’s
rail network, enabling short-reliable trips from the airport to Downtown Montreal and
to the extent of Montreal’s REM and Metro Networks.
The new Station at the airport will be under the main terminal which is a first for Canada
and utilizes existing infrastructure there to lower costs, which is done much the same
way with the network’s crossing of the St. Lawrence on the brand new Champlain Bridge,
which is designed to carry rail in the future.
Of course, all of this speaks to me given I am often critical of the way transit projects
don’t intelligently use modern construction methods such as elevated and at grade construction
as well as existing corridors to lower costs of transit expansion and expedite construction.
They also tend to avoid more contemporary techniques such as phased opening, delaying
what could be significant positive impacts through opening completed sections closer
to completion rather than waiting for the entire project to be done.
This is plain to see as less than 4 years after construction start, entire stations
are visible and the network is already taking shape. In this case the proof is in the pudding,
the entire REM project was proposed in 2016 and should start opening in phases in 2021,
with total completion in 2023. This is all achieved for around 6 Billion Canadian Dollars,
an absolutely astounding achievement when much smaller projects in North America often
cost more and take more than a decade to complete.
Moreover, the REM’s impressive credentials are not limited to its modern and pragmatic
approach to construction and infrastructure.
The network will also open as the most advanced metro system in the America’s and this will
be clear to see for passengers. Beyond it’s automated trains,
the REM will feature platform screen doors at every station, enhancing safety and comfort
for passengers - a feature which while commonplace in Europe and Asia is a first for widespread
deployment in North America.
Furthermore, all trains will feature Wifi enabling seamless mobile connectivity even
as passengers transfer from Metro trains or at the airport deep underground. Finally,
and perhaps most interestingly, stations will feature screens which not only tell patrons
when the next train to their destination is coming, but how full each carriage is allowing
for enhanced comfort and higher capacity than conventional systems.
Now if you think I am singing the praises of the REM you’re not mistaken, at its inception
I doubted the project would even happen - though as a Vancouverite I held out hope of a SkyTrain
style system arriving in Greater Montreal.
With this you can only imagine my shock when shovels quickly hit the ground and the project
materialized in front of my eyes at breakneck pace. To be clear, as with all projects I
can make criticisms of the REM. But, I truly am impressed with how much it gets right,
from the get go -
stations, operation mode, rolling stock are all well thought out. While I appreciate the
anxiety felt by riders of the Deux Montagnes Line and those who have grown up using it
I truly believe people will be converted when they start using the completed system in only
a few years from now.
With all this in mind to me, REM along with Vancouver’s Skytrain before it buck the
trend of overengineering, and disorganized network planning and structure so prevalent
in North America by embracing a new way of approaching regional rail, one that is built
on numbers and efficiency rather than engineering for the sake of engineering, and for that
I think Montreal’s REM is a great transit project, not just for Montreal or even Canada
but, for the world.
And furthermore, I think it's not actually that unlike the Crossrail.
While the projects definitely do differ in some aspects, both fundamentally are doing the same thing:
Taking under-utilized infrastructure and redeveloping it into a new system
which goes far beyond what the original infrastructure was capable of
to deliver a state of the art, modern, world-class system for both of their regions.
So with that thanks for watching the third episode of Demystified,
consider supporting the channel on Patreon or following us on Social Media and as always
see you again soon!
[Music]