Montréal may get surface light rail

In 2022 the Canadian city withdrew plans for the REM de l'Est project for an elevated private metro to serve the eastern suburbs due to community unacceptability and transferred the project to the Autorité Régionale de Transport Metropolitain (ARTM) with the idea that the area would be served by an extension of the underground métro system. 

 

However the cost of a subway project was too high (CAD 36bn) and now ARTM has released plans for a 22km surface light rail line with two branches that is estimated to cost CAD 10.4bn. 

 

The branches would run east along Rue Sherbrooke East to Pointe-aux-Trembles and north along Lacordaire-Dixon to Cégep Marie-Victorin. The lines would feed the métro at Cadillac (existing) and Lacordiere (planned). 

 

It is estimated that 36% of passengers would transfer to or from the métro, and light rail passengers would be in the range 23 300 - 27 600 passengers daily, with 17% being car drivers. Both lines could be extended at a later stage, to l’Assomption and to Riviere-des-Prairies. The ARTM light rail plan will now be presented to Québec Transport Minister Genevieve Guilbault. 

 

Montréal opened its first rubber-tyre métro line in 1966 and there are now four lines (69.2km) with 68 stations (plus five under construction). The Réseau express métropolitan (REM) that is being financed, built and operated by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) opened its first 16.6km section of a north–south line in July 2023 and is planned to become a 67km network. 

 

The city had a first generation tramway system from 1886 until 1959.