Originally envisioned as two separate light rail transit (LRT) lines, the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) was developed as one overall integrated system that links existing bus, transit and highway networks to serve the greater Montréal area.
When completed in 2022, REM’s 67 kilometers of double track will make it the fourth largest atomized electric transit network in the world with four branches and a total of 27 stations connecting to the main hub in downtown Montréal. REM will also connect with nine bus terminals and 13 parking facilities. The tracks will occupy existing rail corridors and highways.
The REM development was led by CDPQ Infra, the firm charged with project planning, financing, implementation and operation. The firm determined that a single technology and network rather than two planned LRT lines — one connecting the West Island with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and the other connecting the South Shore with downtown Montréal and the West Island— would provide a more efficient transportation solution for the greater Montreal area.
In February 2018, CDPQ Infra selected an independent consortium comprising of five major construction companies for the EPC work. The consortium retained AECOM, as part of a joint venture, for the infrastructure engineering and Engineer-of-Record (EOR) work. AECOM will design tunnels, bridges, stations, road improvements, intermodal equipment and railway infrastructure, including tracks, power and traction systems. We will also obtain environmental permits, perform environmental monitoring and provide urban integration.