The World's Newest Metro is Here! | Montreal REM

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After what feels like decades covering the project, the Montreal REM is finally open; it's fast, frequent, modern, and now we've finally gotten the chance to get onboard - so come along!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.

[@RMTransit]

Ride along with our timelapse video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2OWnp6ebdeLbpo

[@yourlocalskoda4860]

question, why was it so empty when you were riding the trains?

[@bahnspotterEU]

@@yourlocalskoda4860 Because he rode before the opening. He said that at the beginning of the video...

[@JamesFFiT]

Good job Reece I wish I could smell that new train with you!

[@abhin_5435]

Can you make a small video about the water metro from india, kochi

[@gabetalks9275]

I would love it if you'd make a video covering ReThinkNYC's proposal for a unified regional rail network called RUN. Andy Byford is backing the plan, and recently, all three of the outer regional rail services (NJTransit, Long Island Railroad, and Amtrak) all came out and said that MSG and Penn Station are no longer compatible. ReThinkNYC wants to rebuild Penn Station back to its former glory. This is one of the most important transit projects in all of North America, yet barely anyone is talking about, but your channel has the reach to bring more awareness to it, so I think it would for a great video.

[@gmbigger]

As a Seattle resident, it blows my mind that this project phase is already finished. Our light rail expansion was approved in 2016 and the transition agency still hasn’t even picked a preferred alignment.

[@RMTransit]

It’s amazing how fast they move!

[@intergalactic_butterfly]

As someone who's been living part-time in Tacoma for college and becoming interested in living in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area, I really wish Seattle was building a light metro network like the REM or the SkyTrain instead of light rail. Light rail really doesn't work well for the long distances that Sound Transit is building. The obsession that US transit agencies have with light rail is so frustrating and limiting. Also the Sounder trains should really run more often than just at commute hours! I'd love to take the South Line to Seattle on a weekend for example!

[@CyanideCarrot]

I was just thinking the same thing! We're currently stuck bickering over the *draft* environmental impact statements for most of our projects that were approved at the same time as the REM, with groundbreaking being years away

[@sea80vicvan]

​@evanwilson9723 unfortunately the Sounder trains run on BNSF tracks, so freight trains have the right of way and Sounder is thus limited on the times they can run. Sad as that is itself a useful train that would be even better if it ran regularly outside peak commuter hours.

[@intergalactic_butterfly]

@@sea80vicvan Yeah, it's sad, but there are many commuter/regional rail agencies that have bought track from freight companies (Coaster and GO come to mind), so maybe someday…

[@japanesetrainandtravel6168]

As a Canadian, I am so happy to see great transit projects like finally being inaugurated! REM is what The Eglinton Crosstown and O Train should have been. Everything from Automation to well designed trains and stations make the REM the envy of rapid transit in North America

[@Passque666]

Its inaugurated but only in Quebec which is already sooo different than any provinces.

[@JamesPhieffer]

In Ottawa we'd be happy if our trains just functioned. Any other system, no matter how bad, is better than the O-Train if it just moves people. 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️

[@RMTransit]

Yes! It’s a fantastic project and an exciting time for Canada!

[@jordencoles5313]

@@JamesPhieffer Finch lrt will run before Eglinton in Toronto just watch

[@swissneutrality9819]

@@RMTransit RMTransit, didn’t Taizhou also just open Line 1 on a new metro line? Isn’t that also considered a new metro in the world?

[@fernbedek6302]

One big impact for the REM will definitely be the spread of wheelchair accessible rapid transit to more parts of the city, something the old Metro isn’t great at.

[@kb_100]

A happy secondary benefit of being wheelchair accessible is the system is also easy to navigate with a stroller. Which is something I definitely struggle with on the metro as I don't like putting the stroller on an escalator with the baby inside.

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely concur! The accessibility improvements are huge!

[@cieludbjrg4706]

@@kb_100 In Oslo, where the Metro is too deep for escalators (or the rare instance where a platform only has stairs) there are elevators. But retrofitting the Montreal Metro will cost…

[@crinolynneendymion8755]

@@RMTransit Highlights the lack of foresight with the metro.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Nice to see I'm not the only one commenting about this :) those trains look especially navigable by wheelchair! Instead of being stuck in one corner of one carriage for an entire train.

[@tonywalters7298]

Between the REM and Honolulu, 2023 is an exciting year for new transit systems in North American jurisdictions. (yes technically Hawaii is Oceania, but still)

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely, things are getting so much better!

[@Geotpf]

Don't forget the Regional Connector in Los Angeles. (Not a new line per se but improves connectivity on basically the whole system.)

[@nottimhortons]

Hawaii isn’t in the Continental US, but it’s still part of the US.

[@TheHomieRicky]

I'm so pleased with the REM's opening as it significantly cuts my commute time from downtown to Du Quartier and it runs FAR more frequently than the 2 bus routes passing near my work. I'm absolutely shocked at the 5 year build time considering how jaded I've been from living in Toronto and seeing firsthand the Eglinton Line's progress.

[@RMTransit]

It’s really impressive, especially given the stations are quite nice!

[@Hemant.s]

Eglinton line will never finish

[@dillonm913]

The Eglinton Line's progress? What progress? What are you on?

[@Ejb905]

Yes! Metrolinx's should be held accountable for their failures on the Eglinton LRT's delays. It scares me on how they are going to do the Hamilton King St LRT. I grew up in Montreal, lived in Toronto for 15 years and now live in Hamilton. It looks like the REM has helped make Montreal's system the best in Canada.

[@Zraknul]

Montreal and Quebec please teach Ontario how to build transit in a reasonably short time frame. You're our only hope.

[@monsterincrement]

Bro, they only built 4 stations. Theres still 20 stations, the main ones under construction.

[@prodICYN]

@@monsterincrement Still, 4 stations only 7 years after the project was announced is really good

[@Shane_Shaney]

And please teach the US as well!

[@duaaalzouman7185]

@@monsterincrement phase 2 should open by end of 2024 , around 18 stations.

[@garciacalavera6830]

fantastic system. As a European, out of all the Canadian cities we visited, Montreal was by far the best one. Great architecture, great mix of people that speak English and French, great transport infrastructure (this was the only place we can rent bikes), great topography (flat Toronto could definitely use some hills) and best of all great food! great video

[@TheTroyc1982]

Toronto is far from flat. I assume you only stayed in Downtown.

[@garciacalavera6830]

@@TheTroyc1982 only stayed in the core yes, might have some hills on the outskirts, but nothing like Mont Real

[@emthegem8141]

@@garciacalavera6830 Yeah word, Toronto has some 'bumps' shall we say - but Montreal has some real deal hills. Some decent slants in Toronto around Humber River maybe, but not much. Montreal has those San Fran style hills, especially around the mountain. Them streets sweep upwards, almost feels like that scene from Inception in some places ahahaha

[@Leojw10]

Toronto has more skyscrapers bigger downtown and better transportation although Montreal the second biggest Canadian city starting to get as good as Toronto in terms of transportation

[@garciacalavera6830]

@@Leojw10that's only your opinion

[@SpriteStrikerAnimates]

Exciting to see the new transit that Montreal is cooking up. Hopefully the rest of the country can also continue to improve themselves!

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely, this is a model!

[@123benny4]

Toronto is working on expanding it's lines as well.

[@ianmackie8959]

Come to Vancouver. We have 2 new lines of rapid transit under construction as I type. By the end of this decade people will be able to use rapid transit to travel almost anywhere they need to go not only in Van but in surrounding communities.

[@123benny4]

@@ianmackie8959 Yes, now we need a REM to go from Boucherville across the south shore to Ste Catherine.

[@joaqueen]

@@ianmackie8959 Vancouver is beautiful!

[@Bureaucromancer]

I think my big takeaway from this in combination with REM de l’est, as well as Toronto, is that pre-construction dithering is possibly the worst thing that can happen to a project. We’re in a place where there really needs to be a clear path to construction from day 0, since it really does seem that timely project are wholly possible, but that once delays start creeping in getting back on track is nearly impossible.

[@andrewweitzman4006]

God help us all if the condo dwellers in Griffintown had started nattering on about the tRaIns aRe lOuD at the start of the project. I bet the CDPQ snowed them right from the start just to stop the NIMBYs.

[@YoungThos]

Shock and awe! Announce and build transit before NIMBYs even know what hit 'em

[@andrewweitzman4006]

@@joelfrigon-henrichon5696 Whinging about public transit bringing down the neighborhood has been around since the rich in Mayfair stopped trams going through and the merchants on Broadway didn't want a subway because of the potential crowds of plebes.

[@RMTransit]

I think that’s a very very good point

[@davidreichert9392]

There are also the WNIMBYs (Why not in my backyard?). I.e. the people who work to bring down projects because they're jilted that they're not getting that service. I don't know how much of an issue that is in Montreal, but just as big a problem in Toronto as the NIMBYs. Wedge issue politicians make great use of that.

[@bengt_axle]

Wait until winter comes. The REM will be packed. Traveling at 80km/hr over the bridge while other cars are stuck on the approaches and in town due to congestion. People complain about the fare increases, but as fuel costs rise, the REM will be preferred because of the relative cost savings and convenience.

[@OdinWannaBe]

its will for SURE be used, its the perfect line.

[@hamradio3716]

I hope the REM overhead wire system works in freezing rain conditions. The LRT in Ottawa is a total disaster.

[@OdinWannaBe]

@@karenjones6135 its will face problem, it's normal, but it was already tested heavily for winter.

[@bengt_axle]

@@karenjones6135 They did test it last winter (but with no passengers). I hope we will not have the problems they've had in Ottawa!

[@faliyo3053]

Such a well done video! As a Montrealer, it made me a bit emotional as sad as that is. Im excited to explore more of the surrounding areas with my bicycle thanks to the REM.

[@RMTransit]

Thank you! It’s going to open up a ton more of the city!

[@georgedanova5679]

15:42 "I think the system will generate a generation of growth and city-shaping influence". Exactly. Having grown up in Montreal in the 70s and 80s, that's what the Metro did for the city. This is the next phase of that city-shaping change for the better.

[@Christian_Martel]

I agree. I live in Brossard and we are seeing already redevelopment around Du Quartier and Panama stations. Some developers had good lobbyists I think. 😂 Expect the same in Montreal and West Island.

[@nickjoseph5224]

It didn't do that at all. The Metro did not create much of anything downtown or elsewhere. The REM will probably lose money. The Metro could have been done like this in the first place and saved millions of dollars by using existing rail lines.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

The flex of being one of the first to ride and test out the Wi-Fi by watching transit-oriented content of your own...love it! Noticed Classy Whale on your screen at 11:37 and that's an underrated channel of the transit community! Only two seconds in and you already mention platform screen doors...I think that's a new record! 😂But real talk, I don't blame you for loving platform screen doors so much! There are various benefits like climate control, reduced trash/debris on tracks, etc. With the biggest being of course safety. Stopping people from either jumping off or being pushed off. Nuns' Island was originally called Île Saint-Paul in honor of the founder of Montreal, Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve. The island was initially acquired in 1634 by Jean de Lauzon, who would become governor of New France. The island got its current name because the nuns of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame acquired the seigneurie de La Noue on the island in 1706. Following the British conquest, the other seigneurie was auctioned. The nuns purchased it too in 1769, becoming the sole owners of the island for the next 187 years. The nuns farmed the island, building houses and agricultural buildings, and later hired women to help with raising livestock. They continued farming until 1956.

[@DevynCairns]

Such beautiful trains and stations. I appreciate that they learned lessons from Canada Line. We didn't even have signs for station names or route maps until a few years ago!!

[@willmako5009]

The stations remind me of IKEA furniture: functional, pretty, modern-feeling and wooden

[@RMTransit]

They had signs but with a different design that the rest of the network

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

You know you've made it when you get to ride this thing early! And being able to wave goodbye to traffic thanks to being on a train is always a treat! I'm thoroughly impressed with REM! Sure they're shorter, but like you said, they make up for that for being wide and not to mention speed and the headways! The platform at Gare Centrale reminds me of just how wide the platforms are for the 42nd Street Shuttle in NYC! It used to have four tracks but then it became a 2-track one with a single island platform. I'm glad the Champlain Bridge was redesigned. Not just because of the addition of rail, but because the old one was degraded by de-icing salt and couldn't handle higher volumes of traffic. Now it can! The current bridge was designed by Poul Ove Jensen, who was Dissing+Weitling's project manager for the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark! He also participated in the design for the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects ever built in North America and with an estimated 59 million vehicles a year, one of the busiest crossings on the continent. It is built to last 125 years with the usage of stainless steel and high-performance concrete.

[@mattlang3696]

Been working on the REM since 2018 and enjoyed (almost) every minute 😅

[@Urban_LP]

Hi, the project is so cool. What was your job in the project ? Urbanist or Engineer, something like that?

[@ArmouredPhalanx]

As someone in a Canadian city that can't even get basic BRT implemented, I'm jealous. This looks fantastic, and I'm looking forward to trying it out on my next Montreal visit. Can't wait for the airport extension...

[@JamesPhieffer]

Could be worse. You could be in Ottawa, where we had the negatives of building a train without any positives whatsoever.

[@RMTransit]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@es3359]

Are you in Victoria too? I’m hoping our BRT gets better soon…

[@ArmouredPhalanx]

@@es3359 Opposite side of the country. Halifax. Our transit is stuck in the 90s - both in planning and implementation. There've been relatively modest plans for BRT for 5ish years, but the provincial government has refused to commit to funding. We don't even have electronic payment systems or ticket kiosks. Like I said... 90s.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@JamesPhieffer and the BRT was so good before the botched conversion. I rode it in 2012/13 and had no idea I was witnessing the last gasp of greatness.

[@liamtahaney713]

I love Montreal, it's by far my favorite city in the US or Canada, and second favorite in North America to Mexico city. Super awesome to see real progress to make a great city even better.

[@mrscary113]

What's happening in Mexico City?

[@magnabaddelta-thriller5603]

Montreal is in Canada 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely great cities, and they both have rubber tire metros 😂

[@cieludbjrg4706]

@@RMTransit Montreal does, because it was built by the Frrreench. Frrreench is, after all, the second language in Canada. :) Which is fun, go to «America» (yes, I know Canada is not USA), and touch up on your rusty French at the same time! :D

[@liamtahaney713]

@@mrscary113 It's just an incredible place. Easier to visit than explain ;)

[@noahwou6304]

As a Montrealer who recently moved to LA this desperately makes me want to move back

[@ALuimes]

Can't have a forum like this without some Canadian expat to the US Sunbelt speaking up. As for moving back...please do!

[@physh]

Truly mind-blowing how quickly they made this happen! In San Francisco, it took 6 years to build a lame BRT, and 10 years for 3 muni stations nobody uses because trains are too infrequent...

[@maestroadam]

I agree when you say it makes the best city in Canada even better. Indeed!

[@ashkumar9906]

As a Montréaler in Japan (who loves transit!), I'm so happy to see this video!

[@alexseguin5245]

You heard it here folks. Montreal is the best city in Canada according to RMTransit! XD

[@paulthomas281]

That this idea launched in 2016, construction started in 2018 and it is ALL finished for riders in 2023 is VERY VERY IMPRESSIVE. Bravo Canada! Bravo Montreal!

[@chickenpommes19]

The wood and light architecture of the outdoor stops gives it an almost scandinavian suburb feel. Leave the station and you're in Njøkjullholmssundborg office park.

[@issacma]

As a new immigrant from Hong Kong living in Toronto, I would like to see such a modern design transit project in Canada. I hope it could change the city's planning and design.

[@skarya22]

Montréal is in Canada! Hopefully Toronto can learn from their french neighbours

[@moho472]

I've been waiting for REM for so long! This, GO Expansion, and multiple transit projects throughout the country, makes me so hopeful of the future. It's no wonder the major Canadian cities have the most used transit systems in the continent.

[@RMTransit]

Oh yeah! It’s an incredibly exciting time!

[@abelsuisse9671]

C'est magnifique, merci pour cette vidéo. J'ai hâte d'expérimenter la totalité du nouveau réseau REM lors de ma prochaine visite à Montréal, une de mes top 3 villes par ordre de préférence. C'est là d'ailleurs à Mont Royal que j'ai commencé à apprendre le ski de fond ! Un jour j'aimerais y habiter, et le fait qu'elle aura un système de transports en commun performant lui accorde encore plus de points

[@frafraplanner9277]

The REM is like a Japanese commuter rail line, the Keihin-Tohoku Line, or the Yamanote Line if it weren't orbital

[@cooltwittertag]

Its a classic S-Bahn like in Berlin or Hamburg

[@frafraplanner9277]

@@cooltwittertag That's probably the most accurate term to call it

[@BrianBaileyedtech]

Yep - immediately reminds me of the Chiyoda Line / Joban Local Train Line that I used to commute on in Tokyo and its far northeast suburbs back in the 90's. It was an excellent system although at times unbelievably crowded. I am headed back to Japan in October and can't wait to use it again and see how its changed since my last visit in 2005.

[@RMTransit]

@@cooltwittertagI don’t think I’d call it that, it doesn’t have a lot of the S Bahn features

[@FreeManFreeThought]

@@RMTransit As I commented elsewhere, like the old car in my profile picture; I think that the old term Interurban is more appropriate. It's a higher speed, longer distance, transit system that is lighter than a commuter train and heavier than a streetcar. Watching you stumble over what to call it my partner probably thought I was having convulsions waving at the screen shouting 'interurban' XD

[@JustinJamesJeep]

As a south western Ontarian i am tempted to drive all the way to montreal to enjoy a ride on the REM. (Yes its counter intuitive) i want REM to be beyond successful, to the point where every north american city follows suit.

[@RMTransit]

You should! The more successful it is the better…

[@bahnspotterEU]

Regarding the classification of the system: With the trains already being green and white, I propose we classify the REM as the Montreal S-Bahn! It does fulfil the same role as the Berlin or Hamburg systems do in particular, just with even better frequency. It greatly resembles the Berlin S-Bahn in comparison with the metro too: Goes a bit faster, stops less and goes further out, while still being very much distinct from regular main-line rail services. A good day for Montreal, and I hope the following phases will be completed in a timely manner, especially to Deux-Montagnes and Anse a l'Orme. Thanks for this early insight!

[@jeromedemersfr]

As a montrealer that lived in Germany for a while I couldn't agree more

[@RMTransit]

It has some similarities but I would be hesitant to call it S Bahn

[@ThisWontFly]

@@RMTransit That's because it's not yet a network: imagine REM de l'est having been built and actually integrated with Garce Centrale/Bonaventure-or going all out, having REM de l'est continue to Lucien-L'Allier in a tunnel and emerge there. I could pretty much see that being a pretty interesting S-Bahn network (in the Berlin sense of the term, as the infrastructure is incompatible with mainline rail operations)

[@DAG924]

Montreal has upgraded, giving me more reasons to move in. One day, hopefully!!

[@schrodingersmoose]

As a Montreal resident, I cannot overstate how much this is appreciated by people who have to commute between the island and the south shore, awesome to see it showcased on such a big platform.

[@thefatcontrollershat]

I went on it today, lucky enough to be in Montreal this weekend (visiting from the UK). Love the views and it seems like a great service - well worth the hour of queues at Gare Centrale. Also I won an awesome commemorative hockey jersey to remember the day by.

[@thefatcontrollershat]

@glaframb Yes that's right, I don't think I was the only one though

[@BoredCapturer]

THAT explains the bridge construction I saw along the highway when I visited back in 2019!

[@CathLaPoire]

well, we did need a new bridge to replace the one that was crumbling right beside it 😅

[@BoredCapturer]

@@CathLaPoire lol

[@COLTRANE2019]

Used the REM last saturday early in the morning and was very impressed. Congratulations to everyone who made this happen!

[@christinecamley]

I am completely mind blown at how amazing this Metro is. The planning has clearly been completely comprehensive and I love that there is a laid back, modern feel. It was completed in a very quick time given the delays in transit systems in Canada. I very much want to travel to Montreal to be able to use the new Montreal REM while I visit family!! Outstanding video!! This was amazing to watch!! Huge thanks!! Cheers!! 🙂

[@imjody]

Those platforms with doors are awesome for multiple reasons. Awesome!

[@funtomco.studios8106]

As a Texan hoping to change the way Texans commute, this system has given me a profound inspiration. I can almost picture in my head what a metro system like this one would look like in San Antonio, or my hometown of Houston (I know y'all are cringing at the thought of that lmao). However, I firmly believe that with the right people, the right system, and the power our generation will have, anything is possible.

[@OdinWannaBe]

Question of time, people will get it.

[@ergosteur]

Wow I remember going to Montréal in 2019 and the early construction starting, as a Torontonian knowing little about the project I was expecting to have to wait 10 years to see the results. This looks great, and will be really useful, with the future phases I can see my future trips to Montréal visiting family in the suburbs being almost car-free!

[@aicovermakerdude]

Tabarnak c'est trop beau! Ceci a pris 7+ ans!

[@Noah-ws8ho]

That's pretty short for a brand new rail system

[@Infinity-lc4eq]

What incredible timing!! I just landed in Canada for the first time in my life and this is the first notification that pops up!?! I'm going to be in Montreal in a few days, can't wait to give this new line a go! (Coming from Britain btw)

[@amo_res9266]

This is VERY good compared to how bad Canada is in making projects like this. Here in Edmonton, this valley line LRT supposed to open at 2020, is still delayed, and it will possibly open at 2024

[@abeekuworldchanger380]

Yeah, but even still the Valley line compared to this or the Skytrain pales in comparison. I love that in Vancouver how effective the SkyTrain is. It runs above ground and underground. And it runs super frequently. Especially during non rush hour times too. Other than then nights. Translink is def one of the best in my opinion. I can see the REM in Montreal being good too. Its following a similar system to Vancouver's skytrain. But Edmonton..... My goodness.

[@Christian_Martel]

I tried the REM this morning. I took it from Du Quartier to Gare Centrale and back. I find the ride amazing. Even though it was full, I found the wagons quite spacious. The ride was smooth (more than the actual metro in fact) and the views are great. Though crowded, it took us 16 minutes to go downtown and the same back. Impressive. The biggest challenge though to make it a real success will be the local bus network on the south shore to access the stations. Some users will still want to park their car next to a station. This weekend it’s free and they organized events around stations for people to try it. The parking at Brossard terminus was already full mid-morning. Since I live close, I will definitely try it again soon in a more quiet time. So far, so good! Great job REM!!

[@mngauthier]

Wow, the REM look awesome!!!. Makes Ottawas's toy train look really bad, It it sad that they didn't take the opportunity to make it truly world class. You should make a video explaining the latest set of issues with the O-Train, I am having trouble understanding what is going on by reading the media. Thanks for your videos!

[@DiscoverMontréal]

To say I’m giddy about the REM is an understatement. I can’t believe we’re finally here! Great video Reece!

[@RMTransit]

Thank you! Big week!

[@dougbelanger7789]

Thanks for the preview! I am heading down to Montreal on Sunday evening so I can ride the REM Monday morning from Brossard to Centrale and then back in the afternoon. Looking forward to that "new train smell" as you called it.

[@Jay.S.747]

Such a great project and system with impressive and thoughtful designs. Way to go REM and Montreal, hope this can be a blueprint for future transit development across Canada!

[@idk-xj6wv]

Wow, good job Montreal. Cheers from Vancouver

[@edwinchen7729]

The trains look absolutely beautiful, wish the Vancouver skytrain was like that...

[@carolb5904]

As a Montrealer we all know how harsh our winters are and that concerns me. Like Toronto's subways that run above and below ground during winter the subway consistently stops and gets delayed.

[@Christian_Martel]

I live in Brossard and we have seen the trains being tested for about a year now, through last winter. I’m quite confident.

[@will78787]

@@Christian_Martel I live in Brossard and I just hope that I won’t be late for class at the end of August. My commute by rush hour RTL busses that went downtown was 30-40 minutes. Now it will take minimum 50 minutes, since NOT A SINGLE BUS LINES WILL GO TO MONTREAL from the south shore anymore. I’m very much not optimistic about the REM too, judging by the first week’s technical difficulties. Not to mention the price increase for students and 65+ seniors plus the inability to buy reduced fare tickets without going all the way to Bonaventure or Longueuil just to get a 2nd dedicated AB-ticket OPUS card. Not a single ARTM ticket booth in Brossard, La Prairie, St Hubert or Greenfield Park, where the AB-tickets are actually needed to get around. They made the new fare system to simplify the adding of the REM, but instead made it a nightmare. Oh yeah and I guess we hate our seniors in Brossard too now huh? Seniors who get the off-peak 65+ fare can’t go to Montreal anymore, with the removal of service of the 45 and 90.

[@abeekuworldchanger380]

We need this in Edmonton so BAD. Watching this reminds me when I was in British Columbia. The Metro Vancouver region really planned out the city well and was so interconnected that you didn't even need a car to get around and the Sky Train gets to to every city in that region other than North Vancouver where you take a Sea Bus, or Delta. Well done! This is so neat to see another Canadian city implementing this in the works! 🙂

[@himbourbanist]

this system looks incredible. I wish we could have this here in the US

[@metrofilmer8894]

We do. Honolulu just opened up its first phase and New York is getting Platform edge doors and fully walkthrough trains (alongside Atlanta). Plus LA is currently looking at a new Automated metro line as well

[@philippecourtemanche1994]

It's finally here. And it's my hometown. I'm really glad we got what we got. Wishing for more.

[@nokitch]

Great coverage! Was just in Montreal and thought the metro was awesome!

[@BlueBeefalo]

I live near a station and I absolutely can not wait for it to open later next year. It'll be a game changer when it comes to my commute.

[@ltankk]

Congratulations to Montreal on the opening of the first phase of the REM! 😊👏 Greetings from Singapore!

[@brendakazenel6325]

I love it and Montreal is my city I grew up in, I live in Toronto and work for Metrolinx Go transit but this is by far amazing thanks for the video Brenda.

[@Neptunewakes]

I work on the 5th floor of the office building connected to the Dix30 station. So pumped to start using this on Monday i have been raving for the rem I am very pumped to try this saturday and starting my daily commute on the rem Monday! :)

[@cieludbjrg4706]

Now that I’ve seen the video, I’m bowled over! As for the glassed-in stations, from what I’ve learned about the climate in Montreal, it will be a very nice touch in the winter! :D

[@mariannerichard1321]

Hopefully, as the sections of the REM continue to open, the interest for REM de l'est will rekindle and they will find the right setting to make the project works.

[@Christian_Martel]

Honestly, I was quite irritated when the critics of REM de l’Est kind of killed the project. We’ll see.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

Welcome Aboard! A Terrific job all of you... Bravo! .

[@quarringtonz231]

oh my god we finally have an Asian quality metro here in NA, I love the door closing chime, it's like Taipei Metro

[@mastax_01]

I really enjoyed this video. The amount of detailed explainations combined with a lot of stunning and relevant visuals really help to focus on the narrative. I also liked the time you took to give us a complete feedback and an overview of this new project. As a south shore resident, I'm eager to see the impact the REM will have on Montréal's public transport mindset.

[@tay-lore]

What a lovely looking system! It makes me want to go to Montreal!

[@TheTroyc1982]

The montreal metro has been there for 60 years and was already the best metro in North America

[@RMTransit]

It’s worth visiting!

[@charliesullivan4304]

@@RMTransit I hope the same ability to implement things quickly will now be used to get the Amtrak lines to Montreal running.

[@JohanKolev]

Bravo. I appreciate your Video!! As a Montrealer I love your positive review and can't Wait to get on that Metro!!!

[@RMTransit]

Thank you for watching! And the super-thanks! The REM is something special!

[@andymod]

I hope that Metrolinx will learn how to do projects from REM and Ontario Line in Toronto will be build not like Eglinton Crosstown. So cool for Montreal, it would be my first thing to try on a next visit :)

[@dngriffiths8105]

Metrolinx is beyond redemption. As secretive as it is incompetent. A petty dictatorship. A standard bearer for the Ford government.

[@dreenyan]

The REM is giving Tokyo train vibes and I'm here for it

[@zartex6458]

There are screen on the metro that show when the next busses will come to the station? That is actually amazing. It’s one of the things that heavily improves the integration of metro with the bus system. The REM is under some smart people. We dont have that in Dubai and it’s a pain unless u can pull up the transit app which is inconvenient cause it needs internet

[@petertrevena804]

Amazing and aa world class engineering project.👍

[@freonflex]

I just rode the REM this afternoon for opening day and it is WOW! Love it!

[@tdb7992]

It kind of reminds me of Perth with all that highway median track, huge bus stations, and high speeds.

[@Hdtk2024]

Great video! Congrats to Montreal for expanding Public Transport.

[@pablovivant9089]

So informative, and so well filmed and narrated. Probably your very best video to date! Thanks.

[@sea80vicvan]

This really explains the REM system well, with how it's laid out, the trains, stops, and design. Hopefully it will open up Montreal even more so people can get around without a car. Now if you can just convince Geoff Marshall to come over and see it, maybe in tandem with Toronto's metro, that would be superb.

[@RMTransit]

That would be very special 😅

[@princezsshorts3209]

i love the safety doors. for some reason they are really aesthetic. almost like being in a pod that is taking you to a train instead of the train coming to you. lol

[@kaitlyn__L]

I love how precisely they line-up

[@amallica]

Amazing video, I lived there for two years before the pandemic and I'm jealous of you guys living there!

[@ambe5179]

The city of Montreal is starting an interesting transformation with the arrival of this REM, it will rethink the city and improve the density of neighborhoods, which is good for competing with car-centric urbanism. The transition won't happen overnight, but it's a good start.

[@Limemill]

It's already pretty dense despite having only a few and moderately sized high-rises. Mid-rise housing is ubiquitous in the city and it has made it more compact than the usual combination of ultra-tall high-rises + single-family homes

[@debuthunter5389]

Never been to Montreal, but moving there in a few months. Really excited for all the positive urban planning and transit efforts they're doing there.

[@kb_100]

Prepare to hear a lot of suburbanites constantly shitting on the city. Especially the English speakers from the west island who wish Downtown was a big parking lot and a mall.

[@FreeManFreeThought]

The word you are looking for is "interurban" rail transit. IE like one of the historic cars from vancouver that I have as my profile pic. That's what the REM feels like to me, it's what the systems that were destroyed in the 1950's could have become. I for one am all for it.

[@mandonov21]

This looks so much like Sydney Metro! The way you describe the REM as an ‘express metro’ is exactly what the Sydney Metro is trying to achieve compared to our frequent legacy suburban system.

[@otoojk]

An absolutely brilliant line. Well done to Montreal .

[@kaitlyn__L]

I'm very pleased to see that not just the stations but also the interior of the trains look so wheelchair accessible. A lot of accessible trains have a specific wheelchair zone, marked by a symbol on the door to tell you where to enter, and you can't really leave it due to grabrails or seating blocking the way. The walk-through carriage connectors are also often too narrow to permit a wheelchair. But in the REM, with all the standing room, I'm pretty sure my wheelchair would fit down the aisle and around the vertical grab rails, and even into another carriage. I also didn't spot any wheelchair symbols on the doors, indicating all of them can be used that way rather than just one. I shouldn't be surprised given it's a modern system, but unfortunately a lot of other modern systems take shortcuts in at least one of these aspects. A lot of planning expects that we'll be exceptions to accommodate only 1 or 2 of at a time, like most accessible buses where we fight with baby strollers for the spots. Which can cause problems if more than 2 wheelchair users want to use the same train. By comparison it looks like a REM carriage could easily accommodate 10, if it had to. Which means there hopefully shouldn't ever be space conflicts with buggies, bikes, etc! Especially with such frequent headways.

[@dngriffiths8105]

Exactly. Any new transit must be fully accessible, and able to accommodate all users, whatever their mobility realities or constraints may be. There is zero excuse for doing anything less. This includes incorporating technology (as they have done with REM) to maximum advantage.

[@brucemastorovich4478]

I'm visiting Montreal (and Toronto) in October. So excited to ride this!

[@cb2199]

Can Montreal train builders please help Ottawa fix our crap train. It's so embarrassing that they did everything from day one to get REM go smoothly

[@TheTroyc1982]

going with low-floor vehicles on a grade separated system is what doomed Ottawa

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@TheTroyc1982 changing regulations to allow lacklustre testing is what doomed it tbh. It was already delayed, so if they had to delay it little more to test it properly and fix issues people would've forgiven the delay for operating correctly once open. But it was both delayed AND faulty so everyone hates it.

[@JonathonV]

Awesome! I’m visiting there next week (for the first time) so I suppose I won’t know Montréal without the REM!

[@john15008]

As always, a fantastic video. Respectfully though, as an Anglophone who lived in Montreal, I don't think I ever heard another Anglophone refer to Île-des-Soeurs as "Nun's Island." Let's preserve place names in their original language.

[@andrewclarkson3401]

I am glad to see someone is following Vancouver's lead in automated metro, almost 40 years later. Now the bar is higher for the Ontario line.

[@davidschoon8254]

The tunnel south from Gare Centrale is basically completely new. The mont-royal tunnel north from Gare Centrale is over 100 years old and the construction techniques show it. This tunnel was instead simply repaired, and ended up costing a tiny fraction the price of a proper rebuild. I was brought in as basically the only Anglophone on the project to engineer and supervise the tunnel ceiling grouting program.

[@Yuvraj.]

Thanks for the important work you’ve done!

[@seanwhitehall4652]

Canada needs more trains. Went to visit Vancouver and was blown away by the convenience of the skyline.

[@robmausser]

How successful and reliable the system will be is yet to be discovered, but it must be said that the creation of this project, from inception and funding to ground breaking and completion, was one of the best and fastest projects in North America. Ontario/Metrolinx should be taking notes.

[@ggitslificious]

cant wait to visit montreal!

[@traxxterz4243]

The train sets look like the new Grand Paris Express railcars !

[@RMTransit]

Same model!

[@dontjudgemebymyname.4282]

@@glaframb I mean this and Sydney metro are both made by same company and at same place in India.

[@atn_holdings]

I went to test the REM this morning and on the way to *and* from I had issues on the green line related to people in unauthorized areas. At that point it seems like the existing STM metro is at its limit without platform screen doors and I hope the REM is enough to convince everyone of that need

[@uniqueusernamehere]

Thank you for this wonderful video! I have been following this project for years and am so happy to be living here when it opens. I'm so stoked for the rest of it to open as well.

[@RMTransit]

It’s a joy to make it! But now I’m very tired 😅

[@MrTynanDraper]

This beautiful, well functioning and quickly built system is like throwing salt in our wounds here in Ottawa!

[@RafMatthyssen]

I absolutely share your enthusiasm for the REM. As a resident of Brossard (actually near one of the spots you were filming on the Milan overpass), I must point out that there is a huge negative with the arrival of the REM. The STL, the bus network on the south shore, has completely ruined it for a big section of us residents. Since the pandemic there has been a fairly large reduction in service, that has not returned in fact, with the new bus service that were announced to coincide with the launch of the REM but won’t actually start until a month from now, there will be even more reduction of service. Pre pandemic, during rush hour, I had 4 bus options to go straight downtown. These buses were relatively frequent, every 10-15 minutes. Of course busses to downtown isn’t ideal with the pollution and traffic problems but at least the frequency was there and I only had to walk 2-3 minutes. Since the pandemic, those buses are now every half hour and two of these bus lines have been abolished. Also the bus line that we used to take home would drop us off 2 minutes from the house but will now be rerouted and the stop is a 10 minute walk. There is another option that is a 10 minute walk with a 15 minute frequency. Those frequencies are for rush hour only, forget about public transit outside of those hours or on weekends). Not to mention that there is currently a park and ris bus terminal (Chevrier) a 15 minute walk from my house, there is quite a bit of density around it, many residential condos and 2 neighborhoods so a lot of people walk to it. That bus terminal will now be closed down, they had originally proposed a REM station to replace it but that was quietly axed along the way. Brossard had quite a lot of public transit users pre-pandemic but now many have abandoned it and will not return because of the deteriorating service. The RTL is proudly announcing that they have reinvested into new bus lines with direct connection to the REM but it’s at the expense of the existing ridership. I’d be curious to see what the ridership for the REM will be like after the newness factor wears off.

[@RafMatthyssen]

Oh and also fares have increased for us on the south shore, I leave so much closer to downtown than most people on the island. The new ARTM fare system is a disaster, there are so many different fares now. With my regular STL ticket, I was able to go straight downtown. Now I’ll be expected to pay more because I’m crossing a bridge. Many people, including me, are complaining about this.

[@RafMatthyssen]

But on a more positive note, since I live so close to it, for the last few years we would walk to the overpass to see the construction and later the test runs of the trains on a regular basis. It was all quite interesting to see! The kids loved it!

[@Christian_Martel]

Hi neighbour 😂

[@RafMatthyssen]

@@Christian_Martel Salut voisin! Prends-tu ou as-tu pris le REM en fin de semaine? J’ai vu qu’il y a des pas pires files d’attente…

[@Christian_Martel]

@@RafMatthyssen Nous y sommes allés tôt ce matin à partir du Solar. Il y a bcp du monde rendu à la Gare Centrale. J’ai adoré la ride. Spacious, smooth and fast! Loved it.

[@tylerhan8692]

Can't wait to ride it

[@u1zha]

Awesome bridge. Would like to cross in a driverless cab, absolutely!