Rail

CDPQ Infra will open REM South Branch July 31

July 10, 2023

The new, nearly 10-mile automated rail line will connect passengers from Gare Centrale to Brossard.

The South Branch of the REM system in Montreal, Quebec, will be commissioned on July 31.

The Reseau express métropolitain (REM) South Branch line in Montréal, Quebec, will open on July 31 according to CDPQ Infra. The 9.9-mile South Branch segment started dry run testing on June 28, where trains operated at frequencies similar to future passenger service.

The REM South Branch includes five stations and will connect passengers between Gare Centrale to Brossard. CDPQ Infra says the trip from Brossard to downtown Montréal will take approximately 18 minutes. The service will operate every day of the week for 20 hours per day. The South Branch is the first segment of a planned fully automated system that will eventually operate along 67 kilometers (41.6 miles).

Testing of the line will continue over the next few weeks, which will allow final adjustments to be made ahead of the July 31 commissioning.

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Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.