West Island commuters and officials are welcoming new details about the Caisse de Dépôt’s proposed $5.6-billion electric train that could drastically change the face of public transportation in Greater Montreal.
The 67-kilometre Réseau Électrique Métropolitain (REM) would link downtown, the South Shore, the West Island, the North Shore (Deux-Montagnes) and Trudeau airport.
READ MORE: Montreal West mayor urges Transport Minister to improve train service
People who use the existing Deux-Montagnes line, where electric infrastructure is already in place, could one day see light-rail trains rolling through every six to twelve minutes.
“Get the cars off the road. Mass transit is great,” Dollard-des-Ormeaux resident Darren MacCallum told Global News.
“This is such a civilized way to travel,” he added. “I’ve been doing it for a few years now and before that I drove into the core and it was insane.”
Another possible beneficiary of the Caisse train would be Trudeau Airport, where officials have been requesting a light-rail system for years. A high speed train is considered an extremely efficient way to shuttle travelers between the airport and the downtown core.
Pierrefonds-Roxboro councilor Justine McIntyre told Global News that she’s also happy the Caisse wants to use existing infrastructure.
Not only would the Deux-Montagnes line be integrated into the REM system, unused tracks crossing Highway 40 in Dorval would also be revived.
Those tracks, known as the Doney Spur, cut through an industrial park parallel to Hymus blvd. and continue all the way to Saint-Jean blvd. in Pointe-Claire.
READ MORE: Quebec environmental agency releases impact study on Montreal’s new electric train
The Caisse would extend the Doney Spur all the way to Fairview Shopping Centre, then on to St. Charles blvd. at Hwy. 40 before ending the line at a new Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue station at Morgan Road and the 40.
The Caisse train network could start rolling out in four years time, serving 150,000 riders a day – almost twice the ridership of the six existing commuter lines combined.
The proposed Caisse rail network would require expropriations, and some wildlife and green space could be jeopardized. Councilor McIntyre argues it’s a sacrifice worth making.
“If we can counterbalance that with people taking the train instead of taking their cars then I think that’s a good trade off,” she said.
On Thursday, the train project came one step closer to becoming a reality.
Quebec’s environmental protection agency (BAPE) released a 2,000-page impact study outlining the possible environmental impact. The environmental assessment is a mandatory step in the pre-construction process.
BAPE identified several environmental hazards, which can be read in their summary here.
The general public has been invited to participate in hearings with the Caisse de Dépôt that are expected to run until September 12.
It’s a process being touted by Jean-Vincent Lacroix, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra., the Caisse subsidiary that’s in charge of the ambitious transit project.
“This is really important for us because it’s a way for us to present our project for all the future commuters,” said Lacroix.
“It’s helpful to really take the time and explain the project, so we would volunteer to participate in the public hearings hosted by BAPE.”
Any requests have to be submitted, in writing, to the environment ministry at 675 René-Lévesque Boulevard East, 30th floor, G1R 5V7.
READ MORE: Caisse announces major public transit project to link most of Greater Montreal
The Caisse de Dépôt released its own environmental impact study, which outlines an overview of potential land expropriation, street closures, disruption of wetlands, and loss of wildlife.
CDPQ Infra. insists the current list is flexible.
“Building something like that, we have to take the time to look at every place we need to pass through, look at every possible impact,” said Lacroix.
“After that, when we have the list of the possible impact, we have to make sure that we optimize the route and make sure there is as little impact as possible.”
Street closures
Major potential disruptions include street closures in Griffintown, where the Caisse de Dépôt wants to build tunnels for the electric train that would connect to Central Station.
Closures include between:
- Ottawa and William streets
- Saint Paul and William streets, due to aerial construction
- de l’Inspecteur and Nazareth streets
- Dalhousie Street, between Ottawa and William streets
The Rodier Building, a cultural heritage site in Griffintown, could also be partially torn down.
Environmental impacts
One of the wetlands that could face disruption is the l’Anse-à-l’Orme Nature Park in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
The Caisse de Dépôt has proposed building a train line along Highway 40; infrastructure for the station, including parking lots and a bus terminus, could be detrimental to the wetlands.
“Friends of l’Anse-à-l’Orme” spokesperson Sue Stacho said she does not understand why such a large project has to be rushed.
She insisted she would like to see more environmental assessments completed before the project moves forward.
“I’ve been concerned about the train right from the get-go,” said Stacho.
READ MORE: Environmentalists say developing L’Anse-à-Lorme forest threatens plants and wildlife
The Caisse de Dépôt has an alternative proposal that could see the parking lots and bus terminus built east of the park, minimizing the environmental impact.
“In [l’Anse-à-l’Orme], the goal is to have less impact on the wetland,” said Lacroix.
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