All systems are on track to start the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) train line between Brossard and downtown Montreal next summer.
Tests continue on the 40 or so rolling stock of trains that are currently in the REM’s possession.
Each train will undergo 500 km of tests in all-weather conditions and can reach speeds of up to 100 Km/h.
The fully-automated, all-electric and pilotless train system in greater Montreal is one of only two of its kind in North America. The other is the Canada Line in Vancouver.
“All the system is put together, they work together. Make sure that if one fails, the system as a whole still manages it,” Serge Mai, the REM rolling stock and systems director, told Global News.
Eventually, the REM trains will roll on 67 km of track and stop at 26 stations covering greater Montreal.
Inside, each car will have free WiFi, air conditioning and the trains are outfitted with large windows to offer panoramic views of Montreal’s skyline, the Saint-Lawrence River, Mount Royal and the suburbs.
REM officials requested the manufacturer build larger windows up front.
“We asked them to give us a little more space to make sure even a child can have a view,” Jean-Vincent Lacroix, the REM spokesperson, told reporters during a ride-along.
The trains have floors that will be flush with the platforms to allow easy access for all wheelchairs and every station is outfitted with elevators.
The Brossard station will also have parking space for almost 3,000 vehicles.
The entire $6.9 billion system is slated to be operating by the end of 2024.
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