Final dry test runs of all electric REM trains on South Shore underway

People will notice a lot more movement on the railroad tracks running between Central Station in Montreal and Brossard via the Champlain Bridge.

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) officials have launched the dry runs of all electric and fully automated trains.

They’re scheduled to run 20 hours a day and are required to register an on-time performance record of 95 per cent for ten consecutive days and then provide transit authorities 30 days notice before the official launch.

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It means the commissioning won’t likely occur until mid-August.

The launch date was set for June 21st, but the mayors of Montreal and Brossard aren’t concerned the deadline was missed.

”The sooner the better. For sure. But let’s do the tests,” Valérie Plante, the mayor of Montreal, said.

”As long as it’s before school starts and as long as they’re sure, I think that’s the two main criteria that they need to take into account,” Doreen Assaad, the Brossard mayor, told Global News.

The future line is supposed to make the trip between Brossard and downtown in 15 minutes with trains running every 2.5 minutes during rush hour and five minutes during off peak hours.

”I can’t wait. I mean, we see it all the time, going back and forth, the tests. It looks nice, brand new,” Sharon Côté, a future REM user told Global News.

Riders just hope the future trains will live up to the hype so they no longer have to take buses between Brossard and Montreal.