Montreal’s $6.9BN New Railway Network

[@RMTransit]

Good to see people taking note of the REM! I do have to say that the project is not the first use of platform screen doors in North America!

[@_Matt_Matt_365_]

Yea that platform door part startled me too!

[@trademark4537]

The expert has spoken

[@PhilliesNostalgia]

HART?

[@mattbosley3531]

You're correct, Reece, they got it wrong in the video. On the R.E.M. web site they are more precise. They say it's the first time in North America that a transit system of this size has used platform screen doors.

[@purplerabbit638]

Love your content @RMTransit!

[@veeo987]

This project was well needed in Montreal where suburbs are not well served by the current train lines that have low frequency and unreliable service. I'm happy to see Montreal innovating with new ideas that will encourage suburban residents to leave their car outside of the island. That project will make the city much more attractive for workers and businesses. I hope it will be expanded in the east and other north shore destinations.

[@CD3MC]

However much Montreal needed it I garuntee Calgary would have benefitted much more from those funds.

[@Zackary1005]

@@CD3MC most of the funds come from the Quebec govt and the CDPQ, which is Quebec’s pension fund… Do you mean the federal money? Pretty sure Calgary could have federal money if they had any serious public transit project in the works.

[@thomas_pâté1]

@@CD3MC if calgary wanted those 1.2B from the federal government for public transport projects, they would certainly get it too.

[@Drought-jr6pb]

As an Edmontonian I'm really jealous of this project. Most new lines in Edmonton have had issues from signal light issues to cracks on pillars of new bridges.

[@trainglen22]

They are not going to make it easy for people in the suburbs who drive everywhere. Very limited parking near these stations and the bus services are pathetic.

[@VinceLocRS]

I worked at the Mont-Royal Tunnel (McGill Section) and now I spend more time at the Airport. But I am impressed how well informed you are about the REM! Great Job!

[@harrycchambers]

Hearing Montreal referred to as "South-east Canada" cracked me up. It's not really wrong I suppose, but since 90% of the population lives within 100km of the southern border, we never even think to refer to places as "southern" Canada; though perhaps my perspective would be different had I been one of the few to grow up in northern Canada.

[@jandron94]

C'est comme de dire que Montréal est au coeur du Québec... il n'a jamais du regarder une carte du Québec de toute sa vie

[@ThomasBaxter]

@@jandron94 c'est vrai. And I'm anglo transplant from BC

[@jandron94]

@@ThomasBaxter j'entends "at the heart of" comme "au coeur de" qui veut dire "dans le centre de". Sur un plan simplement géographique c'est faux, sur un plan économique ou culturel par contre c'est vrai. Montréal et sa banlieue c'est la moitié de la population du Québec donc le centre de beaucoup de choses. Je suppose que notre youtubeur parlait sur un plan géographique.

[@pochtronvirelune25]

It's a geographical indication that is referring to geographical reality as Montreal is 100km away from the south border and more Than 3000km from the northern border..

[@dougpatterson7494]

As a western Canadian I find it somewhat amusing when people from the Golden Horseshoe say "I'm not from Eastern Canada, I'm from the middle." If we merely divide Canada into East and West even the east side of Manitoba and much of Nunavut are "Eastern".

[@olfer07]

REM de l'est is absolutely essential, as this part of the island is severely underserved. It is also much poorer than the West and has the most potential for growth. If young families could settle there instead of the suburbs (north shore and south shore) it would be perfect.

[@pimentovideo1915]

I totally agree on this, but their first proposal, with the rails running over the ground through the city was absolutely awful. Expect proposals being made by the different parties during the campaign.

[@clarification007]

But the "REM" name won't existe anymore since the City of Montreal and the Quebec gouvernement get the CDPQ out of the east section as the main contractor because they won't listen and discuss the need from the Mayor need and also the public. For the way to go to the East section, they are vey busy to find a way to do it.

[@alexseguin5245]

The REM de L'Est has officially been canned. It's going back to the drawing board, won't have the same name and is gonna be handled by the ARTM, the regional agency for public transit. Depending on how the election goes, we could be presented with vastly different projects.

[@REMXBODYART]

I just hope it will happen, ugly or not...

[@jordanl4805]

I agree, but they need to clean up the oil refineries, chemical factories and all the industrial waste first.

[@ytb3748]

Honestly, I'm impressed by the project advancement towards the finish line and meeting the budget expectations!! Here in Toronto, such project would always be at least 4 years behind schedule and at least double the expected budget.

[@etboily]

The REM is indeed going to be delivered late and be much more expensive then anticipated.

[@alexanderesposito5672]

@@etboily hahahaha of course it is. All the bureaucrats and mobsters need to eat too, don't ya know?

[@gagnepower]

@@etboily But the delay is in good part COVID’s fault, and the budget hasn’t exploded like other major projects in Quebec, which is surprising

[@strawberrycatastrofy257]

Ottawa’s LRT could never 😭

[@trainglen22]

The REM is now behind schedule and over budget.

[@elenagiesb9221]

As a Montrealer I am very impressed. It is money well used. On the new bridge they included the train which made it a more expensive project, but in the end such a smart decision. Already, for downtown and surrounded areas connected by metro, it is such a level of convenience. This extends that convenience to a larger portion of the city.

[@coolioso808]

I'm glad you are in support if it. Better public transit is the way of the future, so anybody full against it are holding society back, I feel. Not only that, but construction can get easier, less resource intensive and better as technology grows. Montreal is doing this city-connected light-rail line, which is great. But I just saw a breakthrough technology called "SkyTran" developed by some NASA scientists that is perfectly suited for intra-city travel, but even more convenient due to smaller pods and exit stations that divert from the main line so there are little to no stoppages or slowdowns. For longer trips out of city, like Montreal to Toronto, and even cross-country along the Trans-Canada Highway the best solution seems to be elevated and/or covered Mag Lev Bullet Trains. Super fast, safe, and energy efficient. Could go half way across Canada in 12 hours, which in a car or bus would take more like 24 hours.

[@waisinglee1509]

@@coolioso808 You cannot cross halfway across Canada in a car or bus in anything close to 24 hours.

[@coolioso808]

@@waisinglee1509 Winnipeg to Vancouver is about 24 hours by car. Of course nobody can drive 24 hours in a row, and there are often delays, slown-downs and breaks involved in a long trip, but technically a straight drive half way across Canada from Winnipeg to Vancouver is 24 hours. My point is that it is better and safer to have a Maglev high speed passenger rail line to do trips like that. Then you only need perhaps one conductor driving, people can even sleep, take a night train, with only a few stops and go 200 - 400 km/hr.

[@nanderv]

@@coolioso808 200-330 km/h doesn't need maglev though, that just requires regular high speed rail (which is a quarter of the cost per kilometer). So, remove the word maglev from your pitch and more people listen ;).

[@coolioso808]

@@nanderv Is the alternative to maglev more energy efficient and more technically efficient? Because one could say it's 'cheaper' to keep diesel pumping freight trains in action rather than switch them to more energy efficient fuel or electric, but environmentally it's far more efficient to switch them to run on cleaner energy.

[@PhilipJackson03]

If only other Canadian cities were treating transport like Montreal and Vancouver. The GoTrain is terribly under utilized and Ottawa’s LRT, while definitely going to be a game changer it still is very much mismanaged, and parts of it rely a lot on car infrastructure. We really need to stop being so obsessed with our cars and encourage more walkable cities and transport systems just like this if we want to see proper growth in the years ahead, especially with climate change.

[@LongDefiant]

I freaking love public transportation. I would often ride to the airport in Philadelphia on the SEPTA trains. Back then it was just $7 and it saved a ton of time.

[@blackslav1497]

climate change is fake.

[@matthew2532]

I agree. The last mile has been neglected in both Ottawa and the GTA, continuing our dependence on cars and car infrastructure. I live near an LRT station in Ottawa, and half my walk there is across a massive parking lot. Although, I am grateful to have the station there at all! Could be worse, I suppose.

[@PSNDonutDude]

Go RER is huge and in the works. It makes the REM look like child's play.

[@haou8436]

@@PSNDonutDude funny joke all the rer is is just better frequency bidirectional rail and electrification... it doesnt require much construction and all it is really upgrading is the already horrible go service. knowing metrolinx i doubt they will even accomplish what they promised. in the end nothing special

[@PeterGreen2015]

This is absolutely thrilling & fascinating to me! I mean, even the production value & graphics, and the pacing. I had to pause to acknowledge it

[@hannaheric634]

Wow, til Montreal metros were built in to 60s. It's still functioning so much better than the constantly broken subway in Toronto

[@NainGeantMiniature]

Montreal's metro system is a dream. The quietest network I've ever experienced. The "trains" used rubber wheels with wood breaks and very forgiving suspension to minimize the overall amount of sound and vibration. Combined with the relative flat and straight design of the "rail system", you can legit fall asleep riding the network there or read without needing headphones. Very relaxing.

[@bergerac10]

The brand new Azure trains help a lot to modernize the network, but the rubber wheel technology used was futuristic in the 60's but now it's still relevant and very comfy for riders. The downside is the cost to expand the network, as those tracks are more expensive to build and less efficient than traditionnal metal rails. But with the massive amount of cheap green electricity in Quebec, efficiency is not really an issue.

[@karmoka11]

@@bergerac10 The largest roadblock is simply that the metro was built to be 100% underground unlike most other major subway systems. Any additions must be underground as well which is insanely expensive. This is why the REM project has managed to get greenlighted for 26 stations that span both shores while we're finally just getting 5 more stations on the metro's blue line : those 26 stations costed about $6B while those 5 stations will cost us $6B.

[@dongshuowu3454]

Kudos to Canada. Wish this kind of speed can happen in the US.

[@MirejeLenoir4670]

there have been a lot of delays and it costs way over 6 billions (more like 10, not including under the market assets sold to the promoter or the indirect costs previous public project made obsolete by this one). the promoter openly asked help from youtubers to get better press for it's east-end project that is as ugly as this one but right in dense residential areas that prefer other options.

[@polishtheday]

@@MirejeLenoir4670 Utter nonsense. The REM Ouest is barely over budget in spite of delays due to COVID and the explosion in the tunnel. The original REM Est plan was a good one that would have saved money because the aerial option is cheaper. Vancouver is very happy with the work the CDPQ did there. I now live in the east end of Montreal and was not opposed to it because I’ve used a system using the same technology, walked the paths along it and even lived close to a station without being bothered by any noise. It was not ugly. The car-centric freeways and roads like Decarie are ugly. Stepping into a noisy Montreal metro car and riding down a dark tunnel felt like going back a few decades at least. Projects like the REM are the future of transit. In four years time when the REM Ouest is running those opposing it in the east will realise they were mistaken.

[@trapOrdoom]

This is rare, not something Canada does well often.

[@AdmiralZinji]

@@MirejeLenoir4670 How much money is this project going to waste before they decide to modify it and leave a shitty half finished network?

[@AmelieZh]

Oh boy...

[@WhiskyCanuck]

REM de L'Est was killed largely by NIMBY's in the east downtown area, and people in the sticks who think Montreal is getting too much (the provincial govt has little support in the city, so tends to be rather antagonistic to it). However, it seems that parts of it may still happen, just linking to the eastern metro lines instead of including a link to downtown directly.

[@Hyperventilacion]

They just moved the part which was opposed by the nimby's they did themselves a disservice because most opponents were businesses which actually benefit the most from having stations close by.

[@Willyam2797]

The problem with the REM de l'Est is that making aerial train infrastructure (even car ones) makes no sense from an urban planning perspective and some stations didn't even make sense. They were many other issues like having part of the line parallel to the green metro line Wich is already parallel to the orange line. The East REM would then have in been in competition with the metro wich make no sense at all

[@Absolute_Zero7]

@@Willyam2797 I'm sorry what? > making aerial train infrastructure (even car ones) makes no sense from an urban planning perspective Since when? This is especially true when you put elevated structures in the middle of a wide street like Rene Levesque. Vancouver has proven that elevated rail over large roadways can do amazing things to the urban fabric. Asian Cities have proven much the same. > They were many other issues like having part of the line parallel to the green metro line which is already parallel to the orange line. Yes, because more redundancy never hurt anyone. The Montreal Metro, especially the Orange Line has a massive problem when it comes to capacity. Stations like Berri-UQAM are completely overcrowded and need relief. This is why projects like the Pink Line were so heavily pushed by politicians like Valerie Plante. Furthermore, by having less stations, the REM de l'est would've functioned almost like an express to the green line, allowing those travelling from the suburbs to reach downtown much quicker than if they had to transfer to the Green Line.

[@WhiskyCanuck]

@@Absolute_Zero7 I thought the REM de l'Est plan was clever in that it served two roles: a metro to serve the east end and also a commuter/express line connecting the east to downtown. Plus, as a regular user of the green line, it was always packed anywhere close to a rush hour. In my mind a relief service would have been welcome. The Pink line would have been that for the Orange line, the REM could have done so for both the Orange & Green since it also had a north/south branch

[@junirenjana]

@@Absolute_Zero7 Yeah lol, personally I think elevated rail is always superior to subway except in historic area or places with narrow ROWs. It's much cheaper to build, more interesting to ride on, and far less damaging than the potential alternatives (i.e. urban freeways).

[@Caniewaak]

South shore resident here and I'm so excited for the REM, fully intend to ride it into the city when it opens. Not to go do anything in particular, just to ride the REM.

[@anthonysipos1002]

This is a great project and looking forward to it hitting the tracks. Sadly a couple of "small" changes earlier in the planning stages of the project could have made for even better interconnectivity. #1 they should have extended the airport branch only 700m to the Dorval Intermodal Station which could have added users from Existing VIA Rail, Commuter Train and Bus terminal. It would have added many users, eased interconnectivity with multiple means of transport (which is key in a successful project) and reduced congestion on the local road network in the area. A big oversight but sadly with all the political jurisdictions involved nobody wanted to run with the ball on this one (despite all agreeing in principle since at least 2019). A feasibility study by the feds has been dragging on for years meanwhile the Tunneler has done its job and surely it would cost more to connect after the fact once it's disassembled (which may already be the case). Very unfortunate about that one... #2 missed connection would be a an extension to the orange metro line to meet the REM at Bois Franc. They could have done this while they were building the Metro garage at that end, and we could have had an alternate way downtown for the displaced users of the Deux-Montages line had that been the case. A study is underway here too, but again will probably take years if not decades at the pace of things...

[@EdPMur]

I was so disappointed when they “abandoned” the dorval terminus connection. It would have made so much sense for the area

[@trainglen22]

I am also disappointed that the Federal government didn't get involved to make sure that it connected with the Via station in Dorval.

[@igorluiz9551]

It boggles my mind why the orange line doesn't go closer tor Bois Franc, would be great to have another option like you said

[@khelsan]

The Orange line was originally supposed to end at Bois-Franc to connect with the original train station, there are some talks for future extension to the connect the line to the REM in the future :)

[@anthonysipos1002]

@@khelsan yeah hopefully so - I know they are studying (now, finally) different means of extending the line to Bois-Franc/Laval. Seems it may or may not be metro per se - tho would be a shame to need to connect to another means of transport = less people will take it. I know that extension was on the late 1980's Metro maps.. I think I have one somewhere :) They really missed a chance when they built that metro garage a few years back. They could have gone another 1.5kms and build the extension at the same time. It could have been operational now (or soon) and be real life-saver for the people who were abandoned when the Deux Montages line was shutdown for the REM retrofit. Like the roads in Montreal, we seem to build things to "almost" get there... but not quite.

[@navpreetsingh954]

if REM l'EST project goes through. That would save a lot of time and reduce traffic. The Notre Dame street from downtown towards montreal east is always full of trucks and cars specially during the morning and evening. These trucks going to port of montreal cause a lot of traffic. SO having a train line that runs close to notre dame will make a big impact.

[@pineappleryan96]

Not to mention a lot less wear and tear on our cars, notre dame and the whole "720/136" is a pothole haven.

[@shauncameron8390]

Those trucks along Notre Dame Est are driven for commercial, not personal use. So having a train is not going to solve much.

[@thelegotechnicchannel1256]

Brilliant project! I like that they did not built unnecessarily long tunnels, hence its relatively cheap.

[@qjtvaddict]

They literally upgraded an existing line and added new branches.

[@GenericUrbanism]

Elevated rail baby.

[@yannickchayer1609]

the nice thing with tunnels tho is the lack winter maintenance. it probably did end up being cheaper without tunnels, but i doubt it was an obvious fact.

[@OtisKunt]

the elevated structures are a disgusting eye sore and they haven't even had time to show rust stains yet. Ruined the visual landscape.

[@yannickchayer1609]

@@OtisKunt landscape of the highway and the multitudes of corporate buildings, malls, and factories?

[@therioh8813]

Im from quebec city and im proud of that project for montreal ! This city need this

[@blava3155]

Wow! Great video and great visualizations! Very informative and entertaining! Keep it up!!

[@Anas-te1vh]

I live in the Montreal suburbs and i'm really happy about this. The car usage is absolutely discusting, highways are always full from morning to night and the noise and the pollution are annoying.

[@carlosoruna7174]

Rem wont change a thing, expect comuting to continue at 1 person per car.

[@overdose8329]

@@carlosoruna7174 51 minutes from one of the city to the other isn’t great

[@MCBC_5]

Good to see this in Canada , huge metro and infra projects in Asia and Middle East , Canada and North America should keep up..

[@africanamericanwarrior2397]

The middle east is in Asia. That's like saying "Germany and Europe"

[@Nabee_H]

@@africanamericanwarrior2397 LOL

[@mtlshare7159]

I’ve seen this project originating from start till now in last 6-7 years . One of the best gifts for Montreal.

[@10HW]

I must say, your Quebec french is quite good, I do appreciate the effort. Excellente vidéo, je ne savais pas la moitié de tout ca.

[@lucidmoses]

Wow, as government overruns go, that's pretty tiny.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

While CDPQ is technically a public investment fund, it is managed like a private corporation. They were very aware of the risks that they were taking when they started the project and they want to start making money as soon as possible.

[@lucidmoses]

@@jonathanlanglois2742 Yes, but Private/Public projects almost always end up with Public taking up all the shortfall.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

@@lucidmoses The contract between CDPQ and the government makes it clear that cost overruns are the responsibility of CDPQ. There's absolutely no room for interpretation on that one.

[@lucidmoses]

@@jonathanlanglois2742 Yes, I remember when that used to matter. Maybe in a technical way it still does. But in the real world the post contract prices hikes are done by amendments and 'unforeseen complications'. Nothing to do with the original contract.

[@ZontarDow]

@@lucidmoses I don't think you understand how things work in Quebec with that attitude.

[@internetquickie]

6.3 to 6.9 billion? If only all "overruns" were that small.

[@My-nl6sg]

not to mention the usual delays of decades

[@mbeezles]

Its lies lol everything gets wayyyy more over run in quebec...and delayed...and overrun again...then delayed again! 😆 just look at the champlain bridge...

[@andrewweitzman4006]

Oh yeah, especially when it comes to Quebec construction project standards.

[@yvc9]

And there was a pandemic right in the middle of construction. Well managed is an understatement

[@JonMartinYXD]

Broke ground two years _after_ Edmonton's Valley Line, 5 times greater in length, faster trains, dedicated corridor (doesn't share the road with cars)... expected to start running on at least a portion of the line by the end of the year. **cries in Edmontonian**

[@crush42mash6]

This is such a good plan I wish Montreal the best, I travelled the summer in Brussels Belgium and the train system is fantastic. Even though it was in another language I knew what stop to get off by watching the monitors on the train in every car. Everywhere you turn where people willing to help you and put you on the correct train that came every 5 to 15 minutes which was amazing. The price was also very reasonable to travel back-and-forth, And made more sense to people to use transit because of that reason. They also had a promo where you could buy a train ticket for the month and travel as much as you wanted which also again cut cars off the road

[@peteralbert1485]

I had to check and double check the construction start date and estimated opening date. It’s downright stunning - in the most complimentary way - that something so comprehensive and transformative could be built so quickly in North America! Even if it takes until 2026 to open the last part of the REM, that’s still a remarkable eight years since beginning of construction. I always root for transit expansion in my home city of San Francisco, and we’ve undertaken important transit projects on this scale since BART in the 1960s…but my gosh: we’ve been building the Central Subway since 2012, and it’s only 1.7 miles (2.7 km) and only four stations, and it still won’t open until 2023.

[@FunMan1337]

I'm from montreal and it's really nice to see it visually, good job!

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

This is going to totally transform Montreal but i have saw videos stating it has missed neighborhoods that would be better served so the question is are they providing service to who needs it the most or who is more influential. Either way its projects like this that change the perspective of citizens on mass transit and will make future projects seem more appealing. The other lines converge with teh new line at good places and if teh city can get a northern loop the system will be very well connected

[@NainGeantMiniature]

The REM's path covers fairly essential spots that are currently underserved. Really the political Frankenstein is the REM de l'est which's layout coincides with all the electoral ridings that voted for the current provincial government last election lol. The "pink" metro line proposal the mayor of Montreal campaigned on would have been a much better path to cover underserved areas. The problem is the people in those ridings did not vote for the right politicians it seems. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@andrewfusco7824]

Excellent video. Very well done.

[@asdkotable]

Those platform screen doors will be a godsend. I live and work in Montreal, and the amount of times the metro has been delayed because of unauthorized people on the tracks or suicides is really too much.

[@andrewweitzman4006]

"Il y a une interromption de service..." in the mornings is a solid indication that some asshole decided to autodarwinate during rush hour rather than checking out of this mortal coil in private. Is it that hard to find some sleeping pills and a plastic bag rather than making me late for work?

[@TheUpsidedownCheese]

@@andrewweitzman4006 this comment is hysterical, i've had the exact same thoughts many mornings omw to work. 10/10

[@andrewweitzman4006]

@@TheUpsidedownCheese Look, sanctity of human life, suicide is a major problem, yadda yadda. But topping yourself should be like masturbation: done in private.

[@polishtheday]

Some of them are people trying to retrieve their phones because it takes a least a day to get it if you follow the rules. They should offer a lost and found service just for phones at every station. And all riders should keep their phones in a safe spot until they’re well clear of the cars and tracks. I kind of miss those Skytrain announcements telling you to “stand back from the yellow line”.

[@andrewweitzman4006]

@@polishtheday Yeah, look, my phone is my everything. But like hell am I wandering onto the tracks with two live heavy voltage guide bars near me.

[@Slicedpineappple]

as a Montréaler, this is so important as transit is so heavily relied on here. it opens up many more neighborhoods to live in for those of us that rely on transit to get around the island - theres a lit of buses but they're just not as efficient as the STM metro system!

[@khmerembasy]

MUCH needed. Not being able to take rapid transit to the airport is such a pain.

[@LaughingBull]

hahaha I loved how you said "Rem du l'est" it sounded like "Rem du lait" which means milk in french😂

[@NainGeantMiniature]

La run de lait c'est VIA Rail j'te jure. (On veut un TGV criss).

[@vkobevk]

yeah the dude is 100% english and 0% french 😂 he should say rem de l'est 😂

[@Party4736]

I worked on the REM bid as a engineer and we won the project. It is a insanely complex project. The new REM de l'est is also going to be a great addition.

[@AtlanticFight]

What was the biggest problem that you ran into ?

[@REMXBODYART]

if it’s not canceled, or it is already?

[@rafalcyran8720]

LOL, it's a waste of space and money.

[@bena9713]

so glad you’re making this video, but I actually laughed so hard hearing you say “réseau exprès métropolitain”

[@pbilk]

Montreal is bringing the European experience and sustainable travel to Canada! Montreal is now on my list of places I would be open to moving to. Thankfully I know the basics of French from primary and secondary school.

[@claudelemire2451]

if you need practice reach out i'm there fot you.

[@kirkm3354]

If you live in the West Island you don't even need to know french. It helps overall but the majority there speaks english and many people get by without knowing any french.

[@claudelemire2451]

I Guess that you dont know about Micheal Rousseau president of Air Canada? He said the samething at a press conference last years....

[@kronogatez5995]

@@kirkm3354 shhhh don’t say that!!!! Legault will hear you and have a meltdown.

[@povertyspec9651]

Enjoy the next pandemic

[@xaninator]

This looks a lot like Vancouver's Skytrain. Underground for downtown and a mix of elevated and ground level tracks for the rest. Skytrain looks like it has a lot more elevated track though. If it doesn't have the mob corruption of past projects, it will be amazing and last a long time.

[@ZontarDow]

Not a coincidence, the CDPQ played a large role in the construction of the Skytrain.

[@coolioso808]

Seems like Vancouver and Montreal have got some intra-city transit figured out, I'm still waiting on the BIG, needed cross-country transit project that most of Europe and China and Japan have already figured out. That is a Trans-Canada passenger mag-lev bullet train line. Super efficient and safe.

[@NainGeantMiniature]

@@ZontarDow and a lot of the same engineering firms will have worked on both projects. The Skytrain expansion was in a sort the proof of concept for the REM and the REM is going to be the bigger, shinier example used to sell this type of city wide commuting solution to other cities as a package to other major north American cities.

[@jk-gb4et]

@@coolioso808 A high speed rail going the across Canada like the Trans Canada Highway would not be feasible and people wouldn't use it for those kinds of distances. Basically, the optimal distance for a *high speed* rail to compete with air travel is up to i think 2000 km (at the extreme most), however when it is too long they simply cannot compete with air travel. High speed rail is wanted in Canada however, but it should be implemented in certain areas with high population density like Calgary to Edmonton, and the corridor between Windsor to Quebec City

[@jk-gb4et]

@@coolioso808 The only reason the high speed rail can cross the country in Japan and Europe is because those countries are smaller than Canada and way more densely populated. The reason the rail could work in places like calgary-edmonton and windsor-quebec city is because they have a shorter space and a high population density. And in China, they have low population density in the west, but at the same time those high speed railways that go to the west have low ridership rates and lose money

[@nikgau]

@0:15 : Québec is not a region, it's a province.

[@GoodlyRogue]

Nice vid man. C'est bien apprécié!

[@mathieubordeleau150]

It should be noted that in some case it is not new line the are build but rather a major upgrade of existing rail line, the Deux-Montagnes line is an example of this Canora, Ville-de-Mont-Royal, Montpellier, Du Ruisseau are existing stations receiving major upgrades. One of the major advantage is the much higher frequency, it use to be around 30 in rush hour and 1 hour outside of it for the Deux-Montagnes line!

[@ZontarDow]

And something of note was that that old frequency was for one way service, the REM will go both ways

[@dgh6g33gf]

The fucking deux-montagne line has been closed for a year and will be for another minimum, the only solution the gov made was to make more buses available, thank fucking christ the pandemic happened and a lot of people started working from home. Still lots of people probably had to quit their jobs. Still super pissed

[@Xxlon3wolf117xX]

I think public transportation is very important; fast and reliable transportation benefits everyone. A high speed rail is needed from Toronto to Quebec City

[@obesia1873]

Never understood who wants this as a quebecois. No one goes to Toronto that often here.

[@shauncameron8390]

@@obesia1873 Except Anglos.

[@obesia1873]

@@shauncameron8390 Anglos are like 4% of Quebec's population. Not really a relevant chunk of the demographics when discussing Quebecois' habits and lifestyles

[@bryanenglish7841]

I was just in Montreal and rode the REM, it was awesome! Montreal is my favorite city in North America and it's public transportation is just the icing on the cake.

[@davidcampbell1899]

Anyone living in the off the west end of the island of Montreal like Vaurdriel ,Doiron, Hudson St. Lazar are basically screwed!

[@nataliamuchova]

As a European (who lived in different cities and countries here), I never realized HOW much of a priviledge our public transport network is, until I moved to Canada. I live in Montreal now and can’t wait for this project to be fully finished! 🙏 Cuz just 4 connection points in a metro system for a major booming 2+ million inhabitants city is ridiculous. In european cities you travel the same distance in HALF THE TIME because our systems are build like spider webs, not squares - allowing for more connection points and easy transfers. Vienna is especially well designed in this regard. High quality affordable public transport gives you so much more freedom, joy, energy and well deserved free time after work. Making commutes practical, even enjoyable, instead of draining is such a game changer! It helps the people, the economy and the climate! About time to design cities in North America for people, not cars.💪

[@ren2871]

People who compare European cities that were established a long time ago to North American cities that are babies in comparison crack me up. Montreal has seen an influx of immigrants unlike Vienna has ever or will ever experience. The city grew and grew and grew. From the south shore, to the west Island to the east end like Repentigny these areas were trucker stops and farming cities 40 years ago. So serving these communities with public transport is not only costly but the logistics involved are hard to figure out. The idea that Montreal was designed for cars and the car industry is laughable.

[@Meanwoman666]

I'm just going off what my son has said. I am in the GTA and he is now in Montreal. He has been there for over 10 years. Was raised in the GTA. He says Montreal has got a far better transit system than Toronto would ever dream of. And that's without your new fixes. He said of Montreal's got anything right it is definitely it's transportation system.

[@NainGeantMiniature]

In addition to the REM, Montreal has it's Metro network, a 24/h high frequency bus network, a commuter rail network, a bike share network, a car share network, a nearly entire underground downtown core, and the highest ranked bike path network in North America. What more, most of these systems interface and allow you to use a single payment method while offering heavy discounts for enrolling to more than one. Your son is correct. The transit systems in Montreal are beyond stellar by North American standard. No other city really comes close, I guess Montreal took their reputation as having shitty to roads to heart and decided to make the the roads redundant. lol They are even converting their downtown to be pedestrian only while frantically converting all the buses (transit and school) to electric as well. All this coming after implementing the gold standard of political financing legal regimes in North America at the provincial and municipal level over a decade ago. What a coincidence! I'm sure both are unrelated. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@olfer07]

Somehow it feels weird to hear good things about Montréal

[@jeremysobol]

Perhaps, if you don’t include roads as part of the “transportation system”

[@DragonBornGirl50]

What they shouldve done years and years ago as a inhabitant of mtl since decades is enlarge the metro system. They are always going on about the bs of pushing ppl to go by public transport but i know many people all around mtl and greater mtl and the biggest issues we always point to is the lack of metros everywhere. They built 20 downtown but north and south parts of mtl dont have a single metro (west island and mtl north areas not to include the limited ones outside the island). All big cities have an extensive metro system and trains and buses in mtl are not always reliable or pass on time. Until they get that shit done public transport will always be a necessary nuisance. Ive been taking buses and metros for years and years and it's not a fun experience even when you live close to downtown.

[@GerhardMack]

What they should have done, was build a certain amount of expansion and equipment replacement into the yearly budget. That would lower costs overall but they won't do that because then politicians don't get to make big multi billion dollar announcements for the cameras.

[@DragonBornGirl50]

@@GerhardMack that too

[@arailway8809]

Cities drink money. But this has to be one of the most beautiful rail systems I have seen.

[@arthemis1039]

better spend money on rail than in more roads causing traffic

[@BlueBrickTV]

I'm a little surprised that the lines and plans for future lines completely miss the massive suburb island of Laval.

[@garminteractive7864]

Gets the part that matters for me (St Dorothee)

[@shauncameron8390]

Laval got built 3 Metro stations for free.

[@nood19]

US should learn from this. For example, I hear that San Francisco has ridiculous transit time.

[@gdkid]

At least it has transit lmao

[@qjtvaddict]

San Francisco should add new commuter rail lines and link them together in downtown and link existing routes together with a new tunnel or bridge.

[@ZontarDow]

CDPQ might end up bringing these to other cities that are underserved.

[@Hacdalan]

Houston, Texas should learn from this...

[@thebootielover]

Dallas too. I live in Dallas

[@paramtripathi854]

Union Pearson Express in Greater Toronto Area currently uses platform screen doors so it won't be the first in North America

[@mrniceface]

The glass construction will also let a lot of light inside the enclosed structure, hopefully helping to deter crime.

[@Maytrx]

It's good to see that Canada's second largest city is FINALLY getting a mass transit update for its growing player base.

[@digglerdsrecordings9680]

The top priority in Quebec is the protection of the French language. Montreal could be 3x the size it is but the majority of the Quebec population doesn't want that.

[@vkobevk]

@@digglerdsrecordings9680 i am not sure either i want than my town turn into megalopolis, but if the fate of montreal is 10 million people that is 😊

[@vkobevk]

@@glaframb ok we grow slower that is, dont mean it is nicer, for me the best it is 2 million people in montreal, over that the town become unpleasant

[@shauncameron8390]

@@glaframb After they kicked the Church to the curb in favor of the state.

[@ricladouceur6202]

I appreciate you're showing the financial benefit to these projects you do. They show just how they actually pay for themselves something often overlooked.

[@danielcorrigan8805]

Video: "the train will run west" Me: "we call that north here"

[@27gts]

love it- hope to see this one day soon- I live in Toronto- but, was born and raised mostly in Montreal- so good to see so many areas of Montreal getting some good public transit options- will help many- hope Montreal's commuter rail network gets invested and expanded as well- was sad to read that the Deux Montagnes line was shut down- know the REM is to replace it down the road- but, I think both types of transit are compatible- commuter rail and REM serve different purposes but could be compatible- and the Deux Montagnes line could be expanded bringing good transit to many more Greater Montreal areas

[@sgm4545]

My house is next to a rem station. Like 5 min walk. The prices will go crazy!!!

[@alexanderthegreat4419]

Maybe consider making a video on the Thomson East Coast Line in Singapore. TEL stage 3 ( the largest phase) is quote “on track to open by the end of the year”.

[@sjasonwang7384]

As a frequent visitor to Montreal I’m super excited for this. Montreal is doing great things. Every time I go back, I’m seeing more bike paths and pedestrian infrastructure. For the Grand Prix this year I stayed in Brossard and was impressed that they have a fair amount of protected multiuse bike lanes. More impressive was that normal people are using the new infrastructure (like two Asian ladies I saw dressed in regular clothes riding their bikes). Once the REM is up and running it’s going to be a huge boon to the region’s livability and probably will cause a major spike in property values along its stations as well.

[@johnkatsaros7340]

Great. How much will the bicycle paths be used in November, December, January, February and March.

[@MrMountainchris]

Montreal is such a cool city! So clean too!

[@m.a.118]

I love Montreal, but I always got the impression it's the grittier and dirtier of the Canadian cities. Which don't get me wrong, I love it. The rougher edges are in fact part of Montreal's charm.

[@polishtheday]

I guess you’re not from Canada. Other cities are much cleaner.

[@dgh6g33gf]

lmao its looks like fucking New York compared to Ottawa, smells like shit too most of the time

[@vkobevk]

lol in winter it is not so clean 😂 and unfortunally we have too much ugly spot 😑

[@vkobevk]

@@m.a.118 sorry man when i go to ottawa the city look uglier than montreal 😑

[@kyleramsey5189]

I work near one of the future REM stations and live on the south shore. I may actually be able to take transit to work. Currently it'd take me 3 hours to get to work via public transit. Nice.

[@syntaxbyte]

Platform screen doors have been used on the UP Express too. Definitely not the first use of the tech in NA.

[@Crash8668]

On the UPX only at 2 of the 4 Station. Union & Pearson. Weston & Bloor do not have Platform Screens and are open air platforms.

[@LanceCampeau]

With typical Quebec idiocy... project managers and government officials have NOT extended the airport section another 700m to Dorval station, the area's only major rail, bus and commerce hub. In effect crippling the functionality of the RTM rail system in Dorval in general. An unbelievably short sighted and stupid move.

[@proposmontreal]

Great explainer video. As someone working on a video about the subject, I wish I could do such a good job, and it's in my backyard!

[@mykal4045]

I have to thank and congratulate you for the effort you made with the pronunciation of french words!

[@James-gc5if]

Looks great, but I don't understand why you'd spends billions of dollars on a super new rail system, then purchase the tiniest two-car trains (honestly, more like trams) to put on it, instead of something with more capacity. A 'train' from the airport will surely be full as soon as it leaves.

[@SpunkyGo0se]

Very well made video, very interesting. Your pronunciations are quite funny haha

[@Visocacas]

Great video! I learned a lot even though I’ve had major REM construction right beside my workplace for the past three years. It’s been cool to see unfold. But man, you should’ve gotten a pronunciation consultant for the French place names when making this video. Even as an anglophone who isn’t totally fluent in French, every name was mangled in an almost fascinating way.

[@issam-issamo]

REM du lait 😆

[@percivallavoie4415]

I'm genuinely excited for the REM to be completed, and do hope that REM de l'est happens. I have family on both the north and south shores, while I live on the island, and it can be difficult to visit without a vehicle but this can simplify things. In addition to the overhaul of the transit fares that incorporate what was previously smaller, more localized bus systems, means I can go to school, REM to Deux-Montagnes and bus from there to a doctor appointment, then go back on the REM to Brossard and bus from there to see family, all in the same day, on the same monthly fare (that I have anyways for STM)

[@evanplouffe]

Les commentaires en francais existe pas ou quoi sous la vidéo

[@latinoamante38]

Oh my God I drive by the construction site every day, its stunning and extremely fast.. Bravo Quebec " bonne travail"

[@africanamericanwarrior2397]

There's been tons of delays and it's very slow It's bon travail not "bonee'

[@borealphoto]

Stunning? It looks like the monorail from the Simpsons.

[@vkobevk]

@@borealphoto maybe who know or maybe it will turn like rapid transit from dark knight 😊

[@queeny5613]

Yes I was there yesterday it’s really needed

[@mattiix1645]

I actually saw it being built- It looked nice!

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

Cool! So for the trip between downtown and Kirkland, instead of it taking close to three3 hours via by multiple buses, it’ll be reduced to around 40 minutes!

[@juju1435]

Wow platform screen dorms ! It’s been a standard in London on many stations for years . This continent (North America) is seriously underdeveloped.

[@claudelemire2451]

They should have prolonged the Orange line from Cote Vertu to the REM and across to Laval. Tons of commuters there to service, Airport and Downtown...

[@NainGeantMiniature]

Going by population and public transit coverage presently in the city they should have built the REM expansion along the pink line trajectory the mayor of Montreal campaigned on which hits nearly all the major under-serviced neighbourhoods that the REM does not cover. The only reason they are doing instead the Rem de l'Est is because the ridings in which it would travel all voted for the CAQ (or nearly flipped for them) last election. This is some Duplessis level nonsense out of Legault.

[@ChuckyDoll79]

La ligne Orange devrait faire une loop complète. Ça serait beaucoup + simple.

[@fastSPX_90]

US cities should watch and learn

[@robhersey1796]

It is really unfortunate that they have no plans to extend this west once they finally build the new Ile-aux-tourtes bridge, since so many people have moved the Soulanges area

[@liorstoliarov9798]

Many people will start living in the new district of DIX30 (Brossard) and work at Montréal. Good opportunities, beautiful place.

[@Lam-s-Workshop]

Great video thank you

[@patricepreel1832]

Great video thanks. Just for clarification: Not 212 trains but 212 train carriages. That's 106 trains with 2 carriages in total.

[@egreeno]

I live in Montréal… this is awesome!

[@JamaicaLefferts]

Toronto's Union Pearson Express also has platform screen doors. Montréal's REM will be the 2nd in Canada

[@konsumkanal408]

Stuttgart 21 would be also a ptoject you would like to to Make. And the Wendlingen-Ulm highh speed line, too. But those both projects are parts of one project, actually

[@jandron94]

Stuttgart 21 is the dead end station being transformed into a go through station, right ? Where is Wendlingen ? Ulm like the Napoleonic wars battle ? How having a HS train line between so small cities could be of much interest ? I mean it may be important to many South-Western Germans but is it of much interest in the rest of Germany ? of Europe ? Will it at least enable the Stuttgart-Berlin trip in less than 6 hours ? Currently it takes double time than the Stuttgart-Paris trip ! I would guess that Berlin is as much worth a visit than Paris for Western Germans.

[@konsumkanal408]

@@jandron94 Stuttgart-Berlin is definetly undeveloped. Netter said, Stuttgart-Nürnberg ist the problem. But, both projects are part of the train line Paris-Budapest. And between Stuttgart and Munich is the bottle neck. Actually it is from the station system in Stuttgart til Augsburg. And there you have three Projects, Stuttgart 21, Wendlingen-Ulm and Ulm-Augsburg. The last ohne is stil in the Planung Phase, the Röstis unser construction and the second ohne is finished and will start operation in Dezember. So the train line til Wendlingen is Part of Stuttgart 21, but there will not eben be a Station in Wendlingen. Yes, that is what is in Stuttgart, but also a secons station at the airport and a Lot of new tunnels, so the whole over-regional trainsystem ist completly transformed in the Region of Stuttgart. And Wendlingen is the end point of Stuttgart 21 of the fast train line in the Direktion to Ulm. And Ulm looks in the statistics a lot more tiny than it is in reallityi. Directly in theother die is Neu-Ulm sich belongs to Bavaria because of the stupid Napoelon and is the central station for 1 to 2 million people. But in the end Ulm and Augsburg are both just stops on the connection between Stuttgart an Munich, sich ist one part of the European Central train line of Paris-Budapest

[@jandron94]

@@konsumkanal408 This is really a German issue... I guess you don't encounter that many French visitors in those areas. For most of the French the German regions are totaly unknown : a fast train access would maybe help. Stuttgart is a big city and very close to the French border but almost nobody in France knows that city, many don't even know the name itself. Basically only Berlin attracts the French attention. Franco-German relations are not that good if you consider for instance the tourism between the 2 countries.

[@konsumkanal408]

Well, that is the centralism of France what you talk about. And that is bringing France a Lot of problems actually. Germany has actually a different history. And this extreme centralism in France is the Foundation of the France national, when you look at the election results you see the results of that thinking. So, in the end I can was to your tellings, that I am glad that the European Union is not repeating the French mistakes. We have allready enough problems because of the European Farmer subsidies. In that topic, Europe should end doing it in French and start doing it in Dutch. Because das make it the right way... And actually, I spoke yesterday with a French person in Altefähr in the extreme Provinz of Mecklenburg-Vorprommern who was also there in vacation. So, may the French people are also not that centralistic and it is just the thinking of the political class of Paris that is repeated then in the Media?

[@PhilliesNostalgia]

Problems at 0:27. First, the blue line is not an Exo line, at least not right now. Two, Exo5 Masouche, the northern line, does not go into Gare Centrale that way. It goes along the western spine side of the island, like what is shown, but it continues further south, close to the St. Lawrence River, then around the east side of the island. Wrong graphic again at 5:19. Exo3 and Exo5 are not through-run. Exo5 may have used the Mount Royal Tunnel years and years ago, but not anymore

[@gagnepower]

I personally worked on the project as a draftsman/coordinator, the project is so big that it was so messy, so many sub-contractors. But I’m eager to see the final result and try it 👍

[@Vicstarz26]

Montreal's transit netowrk is definitely way better than Toronto's TTC/YRT/GO networks. Toronto need's more subway routes, better rail lines and frequent bus network

[@solweiser]

Please give an update on the REM and possible start dates or new timeline

[@mohsenahmad2171]

I’m so excited I will no longer need to drive to Downtown or the Namour metro station from the West Island.

[@DavidDuchov]

Project is amazing, at the same time, 3:00 for the Est, the Quebec City tramway project is a mess, it doesn't serve the need of the population on the south shore or the suburb outside downtown

[@sebsun]

Montreal is such a spectacular city in almost every way!

[@seanfyodorovich5230]

@@OnnSight Which is why you use their transit system.

[@CeeJayLerod]

This feels like such a stark contrast to Ottawa light rail construction, which has been filled with blunder and has taken forever to get going...and frequently shuts down as well!

[@chrollo0427]

A new reason to visit montreal :)

[@buggy7451]

Very cool! Although trains within 90 seconds to 5 mins of each other seems incredibly excessive.

[@Shaggylicious]

As a Montréalais, I thank you. I didn't know half of the things you said in this video beforehand. Cheers! #514 #REALCITY #438 #WHYamIhachTaGgInG

[@Shaggylicious]

My minds blown. I can't believe that the Alstom is autonomous.

[@arricammarques1955]

Montreal urban planning & transportation wipes the floor with TO.

[@OttawaWelshman]

Really solid video - Few points you missed that might be good to mention because it may apply to other future videos 1- Political elements - There's some really complex political issues at play because Montreal is one of the Most multi-cultural and anglophone communities in the provide of Quebec, and the lack of transportation resources to some of the existing locations mentioned - is rooted in some really intense and complicated political issues 2- Weather conditions - Awesome that you mentioned temperature control and things like that! But having exposed, elevated tracks in a city where there is a pretty intense winter a huge chunk of the year, not to mention, the testing done in those conditions is really limited, it's bound to cause some significant issues!

[@shauncameron8390]

Montreal is not one of. Montreal is THE most multicultural locale with a heavy Anglo presence in Quebec. And the Rest of Quebec including the off-island suburbs don't like that one bit.

[@sylv_ain]

Only problem is that the REM is supposed to transport people to the airport better than the STM 747 bus but the non compete agreement with STM means the bus will stop when the REM is operational and the entire south west (around Lionel Groulx) won’t have a mean to go straight to the airport anymore

[@loufokke4005]

really cool vid

[@phyyl]

Philippe Couillard was the prime minister like 4 years ago