REM’s Anse-à-l’Orme branch begins passenger service

The Anse-à-l’Orme branch began passenger service on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) on May 18. The 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) branch offers riders four new stations in the cities of Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Kirkland in Montreal, Quebec.

“The commissioning of the Anse-à-l’Orme branch represents a major step forward for mobility in the West Island,” said Daniel Farina, president and CEO of CDPQ Infra, which is responsible for the planning, financing, completion and operation of the full project. “Seeing the REM extend into this sector is the result of years of hard work carried out in collaboration with many partners. Day after day, the network demonstrates its ability to provide reliable, high-frequency service that meets citizens’ expectations. We will continue working in this direction, toward an even larger and more impactful network.”

For the Anse-à-l’Orme branch, Alstom delivered 212 autonomous Metropolis metro cars (106 two-car trainsets) that feature onboard Wi‑Fi connectivity, as well as platform screen doors, ensuring passenger comfort, reliability and safety. REM maintenance teams use Alstom’s HealthHub digital platform, a predictive maintenance solution that monitors the fleet and infrastructure in real time, leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze data collected across the entire railway system.

“We are extremely proud to contribute to the opening of this new branch, which significantly improves daily mobility for residents across the metropolitan region,” said Alstom Americas President Michael Keroullé. “This project demonstrates our ability to deliver complex, large‑scale turnkey transportation systems equipped with the best available technologies. Congratulations to CDPQ Infra, our employees and all our partners.”

The Anse-à-l’Orme branch is the third project REM has commissioned in the past few years. The first segment, a 17-kilometer (10.6-mile) segment that connects Brossard on Montreal’s South Shore with Montreal’s Central Station opened in 2023. A 33-kilometer (20.5-mile) segment that links downtown Montréal and Deux-Montagnes, launched in November 2025.  

According to the REM, once fully completed in 2027, the full network will extend 67 kilometers (41.6 miles) across 26 stations, including from downtown Montréal to the international airport. It will accommodate up to 170,000 users per day, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100,000 metric tons annually and make it possible to reach the airport from downtown by train in 25 minutes. CDPQ Infra notes it plans to begin the testing phase on the final three-kilometer (1.9-mile), two-station branch to Montréal-Trudeau Airport.