Quebec's environmental review board is hearing from the public and concerned stakeholders about the Caisse de Depot's proposed light rail system.

In the second consecutive day of hearing, the BAPE heard from Mayor Denis Coderre, his head of urban planning Richard Bergeron, and others.

While BAPE hearings generally deal with environmental concerns, Tuesday's hearings veered into an opportunity for people to make suggestions about the design and capabilities of the rail line.

The REM light rail project would involve 67 km of rail lines from Montreal to the airport, north shore, south shore and West Island, with some of the rail lines already being used by the Montreal-Deux Montagnes train line.

Coderre and Bergeron presented a wish list for facilities at the stations, especially the Edouard Montpetit station that would connect to the Blue line of the Metro system, and the McGill station that would connect to the Green line.

Coderre said he hoped the stations would have facilities for bike storage and for Bixis. He would also like to see dedicated parking spaces for car sharing companies, and charging stations for electric vehicles.

The Mayor hoped the first phase of the project would include McGill, Edouard Montpetit, and a new station in Griffintown.

Jean-Vincent Lacroix of the REM project said there are complications because of where some proposed stations are in relation to the tunnel that goes under Mount Royal.

"It was really difficult in a technical perspective because it's a station for Edouard Montpetit and McGill that are under Mount Royal, right now we find some technical solution and we really progress going towards this station," said Lacroix.

He added the Caisse is still crunching the numbers on the $5.5 billion train project.

Meanwhile Philippe Roy, the Mayor of Town of Mount Royal, said he hoped the province could see fit to extend the Orange line into St. Laurent.

"We should do an extension of the Orange line to Bois Franc. There's 2.4 km between Cote Vertu and Bois Franc and half is already built, the STM has built 1.2 km so we only need 1.2 km and that's it, we have a link with the subway station," said Roy.

A coalition of union groups has asked the National Assembly to create a parliamentary committee to examine this massive plan altering public transit in Montreal.

The group calls itself "Trainsparence" and is denouncing the speed with with the project is advancing.

Construction work is supposed to begin next spring, with the line in operation in 2020.

On Monday several groups harshly criticized the REM, with the David Suzuki Foundation arguing it encouraged suburban sprawl.

The Quebec Farmers' Union (UPA) said the area near Dixs30, the terminus of the rail line on the South Shore, where the REM wants to create a 3,000-car parking lot, is zoned for agricultural use.

The UPA said sprawl around the train station would lead to more farmland being purchased for private development.

The BAPE hearings continue this week.