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MONTREAL \u2014 Officials at Montreal-Trudeau International airport say a new $600-million light-rail station is still on track to be delivered next year.<\/p>\n
Project director Steeve Bouffard says the REM station is about 80 per cent complete and remains on budget and on schedule despite challenges remaining to complete it.<\/p>\n
Workers are concentrating on the walls and electrical system, as well as a signature architectural feature that will resemble an iceberg.<\/p>\n
The airport link will be the final segment of the greater Montreal area\u2019s light-rail network that when completed will have 26 stations covering 67 kilometres of track.<\/p>\n
The first five stations linking Brossard to downtown Montreal\u2019s Central Station opened in 2023, while a 30-kilometre branch to the northern suburb of Deux-Montagnes went into service in November.<\/p>\n
A penultimate branch serving Montreal\u2019s West Island is scheduled to open this spring, while the airport link is expected to enter service in late 2027.<\/p>\n
Bouffard took reporters on Wednesday down into the unfinished REM station, where workers used mechanical lifts to work on the walls and mechanical systems. Tracks ran north and south through the tunnel 40 metres underground, with blue sky visible through the unfinished ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still on track on the budget itself, and on the schedule,\u201d Bouffard told reporters. \u201cWe have a lot of challenges, but we are on track (based) on what we see for now.\u201d<\/p>\n
When complete, the station is expected to carry some seven million passengers per year, or about 20 per cent of the 35 million annual customers the airport is expecting by 2035.<\/p>\n
Bouffard says the challenges to completion include co-ordination between the airport and REM, which are each responsible for different parts of the project, as well as tight spaces and timelines.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime is precious, but space is precious as well,\u201d he said. \u201cAs you can see, there\u2019s a lot of activities going on. So we have to plan according to every trade and what needs to be done in a fast manner.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Airport spokesperson Anne-Sophie Hamel says the new station is part of a $10-billion, decade-long project to upgrade the airport to meet growing demand and relieve congestion. Roads toward the airport will be redone, with new passenger drop-off zones, a new multi-level parking garage and new gates.<\/p>\n
Hamel noted that Montreal is one of the few major cities without a rail line serving its airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s something that\u2019s been a long time coming at the airport, having this means of transportation from the airport to downtown,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen in most big international airports around the world, they have that type of service that connects to the downtown, so we\u2019re pretty excited to be able to offer that to our passengers and our employees as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company behind the REM announced in January that it ran a train for the first time on the tracks of the future airport branch. The update said all the track had been laid and that teams at the airport station were working to install rail systems and other equipment before dynamic testing could begin.<\/p>\n
A series of service interruptions over the winter raised questions about the REM\u2019s ability to handle cold weather, prompting train supplier Alstom to acknowledge that the REM had not yet delivered the level of reliability that passengers expect. The company said in January that it was working with operating company Pulsar to identify and fix the issues.<\/p>\n
Hamel said she\u2019s not worried about reliability at the airport station. She noted that the station is underground, and therefore protected from weather, and is also the last branch to be completed, giving the REM operators time to iron out any issues.<\/p>\n
\u00a92026 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n