Behind the Scenes

Guided Visit of McGill Station on Montreal's Réseau Express Métropolitain - August 2022

Located in the heart of Montreal's downtown core, the REM's McGill station is connected to the metro's green line, will be one of three stations located in the Mount Royal tunnel, and one of two stations that did not previously exist on the exo Deux-Montagnes line. Built underneath Avenue McGill College, special engineering and construction techniques were required to not cause damage or disturb the surrounding buildings, such as Place Montréal Trust, Centre Eaton Montréal and the Banana Republic, to name a few. 

When commissioned, the station located 10 meters underground will be accessible via the existing underground corridor connecting Place Montréal Trust to the Centre Eaton Montréal, as well through a separate access from McGill metro station. The REM station will connect the borough of Ville-Marie and downtown to destinations north such as Outremont via Edouard-Montpetit station, Deux-Montagnes and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue to the west, and south to Brossard and the south shore. Finally, the station will offer fast connections in minutes between the Metro's green, orange and blue lines through the Mount Royal tunnel. 

The construction of this station posed many technical challenges, especially since it is located underneath existing buildings and skyscrapers. To dig this station, the existing tunnel needed to be enlarged, and new accesses from the station cavern created, elements that did not previously exist. Steel and concrete supports were created to reinforce and further support the surrounding buildings. Final destination: commissioning in 2024! 

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In this video, we take you through a guided tour offered to content creators in August 2022 of the station under construction. Journey deep underground, down to the Mont-Royal rail tunnel, now more than 100 years old, and the future route of the REM.

Guided Visit of Gare Centrale Station on Montreal's Réseau Express Métropolitain - August 2022

Located in the heart of Montreal's downtown core, the REM's Gare Centrale station is connected to the metro's orange line and will be one of three stations in the Mount Royal tunnel. Built underneath the Gare Centrale itself, it was created by repurposing and converting some of the train tracks and platforms. 

When commissioned, the station located 3.1 meters below the Gare Centrale's Salle des pas perdus, will be accessible via the existing station, as well as the RESO underground city network, between the Queen Elizabeth hotel and the Place Bonaventure, as well through a separate access from the parking of the Gare Centrale. The REM station will connect the borough of Ville-Marie and downtown to destinations north such as Outremont via Edouard-Montpetit station, Deux-Montagnes and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue to the west, and south to Brossard and the south shore. Finally, the station will offer fast connections in minutes between the Metro's orange, green and blue lines through the Mount Royal tunnel. 

The architects of this station wished to preserve several of the original Gare Centrale platform-level elements. The iconic cross and curved arch supports, as well as a unique floor tile colour scheme to where the previous rail tracks and platforms were located before the arrival of the REM. Final destination: opening end of 2022! 

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In this video, we take you through a guided tour offered to content creators in August 2022 of the station under its final stages of construction. Journey deep underground, down to the Mont-Royal rail tunnel, now more than 100 years old, and the future route of the REM.

Guided Visit of Édouard-Montpetit Station on Montreal's Réseau Express Métropolitain - November 2021

Located in the heart of Mont-Royal, the REM's Édouard-Montpetit station is connected to the blue metro line and serves the Université de Montréal campus. It will be the deepest subway station in Canada and one of the deepest in the world (72 metres). Its architectural treatment will highlight the rock through which the station was excavated. 

When commissioned, the station located 70 meters underground will be accessible via five high-speed elevators that will travel the equivalent of a 20-story building in less than 30 seconds! The REM station will connect the borough of Outremont and downtown in only 3 minutes while offering a fast connection to the green line (via McGill station) and the orange line (via Bonaventure station). 

The construction of this station posed many technical challenges, especially since it is located near residential areas and schools. In order to dig so deep into the ground and in such hard rock, controlled blasting was used to build the station's main shaft and mezzanines. This represents 30,000 cubic meters of high-quality excavated rock that was reused as ballast on the Deux-Montagnes branch. The excavation work was completed in 2019 and the teams then work on the construction of the station. This means that after digging a 20-story building, it had to be built. Today, the steel structure of the station is clearly visible and the wooden ceiling can also be seen. In the coming months, the teams will be busy completing the station's exterior shell and will begin work on the interior. Final destination: commissioning in fall 2023! 

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In this video, we take you through a guided tour offered to the media in November 2021 of the station under construction. Journey deep underground, down to the Mont-Royal rail tunnel, now more than 100 years old, and the future route of the REM.

Une visite guidée de la station Edouard-Montpetit du Réseau Express Métropolitain de Montreal - novembre 2021

Située au cœur du Mont-Royal, la station Édouard-Montpetit du REM est connectée à la ligne bleue du métro et dessert le campus universitaire de l'Université de Montréal. Ce sera la station de métro la plus profonde au Canada et l'une des plus profondes dans le monde (72 mètres). Son traitement architectural mettra en valeur le roc à travers lequel la station a été creusée.

Lors de sa mise en service, la station située à 70 mètres sous terre sera accessible par cinq ascenseurs à grande vitesse qui permettront de parcourir l'équivalent d'un immeuble de 20 étages en moins de 30 secondes ! La station REM reliera l'arrondissement d'Outremont et le centre-ville en seulement 3 minutes, tout en offrant une connexion rapide à la ligne verte (via la station McGill) et à la ligne orange (via la station Bonaventure).

La construction de cette station a posé de nombreux défis techniques, d'autant plus qu'elle est située à proximité de zones résidentielles et d'écoles. Afin de creuser aussi profondément dans le sol et dans une roche aussi dure, un dynamitage contrôlé a été utilisé pour construire le puits principal et les mezzanines de la station. Cela représente 30 000 mètres cubes de roches excavées de haute qualité qui ont été réutilisées comme ballast sur la branche Deux-Montagnes. Les travaux d'excavation ont été achevés en 2019 et les équipes s'attellent ensuite à la construction de la station. Cela signifie qu'après avoir creusé un bâtiment de 20 étages, il fallait le construire. Aujourd'hui, la structure en acier de la station est bien visible et on peut également apercevoir le plafond en bois. Dans les mois à venir, les équipes s'occuperont de terminer la coque extérieure de la station et commenceront à travailler sur l'intérieur. Destination finale : la mise en service à l'automne 2023 !

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Dans cette vidéo, on découvre la nouvelle station en construction à Edouard-Montpetit. Voyagez profondément sous terre jusqu'au tunnel ferroviaire du Mont-Royal, vieux de plus de 100 ans, et futur emplacement du REM.