Montreal's REM nearly ready to take commuters aboard

After months of controversy, labour shortages, and delays, Montreal's light-rail train line, the REM, is nearly ready to take commuters aboard.

Journalists got a sneak peek Friday into the Brossard station on the South Shore as it is preparing to open its doors.

Watch the video above to get a preview.

There's still a lot of testing to do before the REM can welcome riders, said Denis Andlauer, vice-president of CDPQ-Infra, the company in charge of building the light-rail service.

Andlauer didn't disclose when the system would open to the public and transport its first riders.

The REM promises to be an integrated network with the STM. The first phase of the network will get people moving from the Brossard terminus to central station.

"That's more or less an 18-minute trip," said Andlauer. "No car can beat this kind of time."

The trip will cost between $3 and $4.50 from Zone B on the South Shore to Zone A on the Island of Montreal.

Short trains are expected to arrive every few minutes during peak hours, allowing about 12,000 commuters to travel through the station every hour.

The trains won't have conductors on board. Instead, they will be automated and directed from a nearby control room in the Brossard station, also the main hub for day-to-day maintenance.

When all 67 kilometres of track are in operation, it will be one of the largest automated networks anywhere, said CDPQ Infra.

"We're building something that's going to be a record around the world in terms of amplitude and complexity," said Andlauer. "You can be in Brossard, and if you take the right train, you're going directly to the airport, or l'Anse-à-l'Orme, or Deux-Montagnes."