Montréal’s new Réseau Électrique Métropolitain: what does it
entail for the West Island?
On April 22nd, 2016, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
(CDPQ) unveiled their plans to build a 67 kilometer light rail
system that would connect downtown Montréal to the North &
South Shores, Laval, West Island and Saint-Laurent. With
construction slated to be completed by 2020, how will the industrial
real estate market in the West Island benefit from a new commuter
service?
For years, stakeholders and commuters in the West Island have been asking for better
commuter rail service. Finally, the CDPQ has fulfilled the wishes of West Island residents and
business owners with a $6 billion project that will place 5 stations in the West Island, including
an underground station at Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau International Airport. The total cost of the
project is estimated at $5.9 billion; with the CDPQ taking on $3.1 billion and the remaining $2.5
billion is to be allocated between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. With the
project now in its public consultation phase and with the CDPQ already short-listing the
potential engineering & construction firms to work on the project, the dream is slowly coming
true for most commuters in West-Island.
Map of the Réseau Électrique Métropolitian
Frequently Asked Questions
•
What happens to the value of my real
estate?
•
Who’s paying for the project?
•
Will the construction cause even more
traffic?
•
What is the parking situation?
•
What will happen to freight shipments
along the CN rail line?
Current Traffic Situation
•
During rush hour, there are over 475,000
motorized trips linking the West-Island to
Downtown Montréal.
•
There are 74,000 trips recorded on
average, in a single day from PierreElliot Trudeau International Airport.
•
76 percent of these trips are made by car
(excluding taxis).
Traffic Projections
•
The volume of commutes from the WestIsland to downtown Montréal is expected
to increase by 20% (or 95,000 more
vehicles) by 2031
•
An estimated increase of 32,000 vehicles
going to and from the airport.
Overview
When the REM begins operations
The Réseau Électrique Métropolitain (REM), which is scheduled to begin
operations in 2020, will be a fully automated light rail transit system that
will connect downtown Montréal, the North & South Shores, SaintLaurent, the West Island and Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport.
Currenly, there are 27 proposed stations, 13 parking facilities and 9 bus
terminals, making the REM the fourth-largest automated transit system
in the world in terms of route length, measuring 67 kilometers. Notably,
six of the 27 proposed stations will be in the West Island, giving
commuters a much needed dedicated public transit route to navigate the
The strong commuter-driven demand from the West Island to the
downtown core and vice-versa will be matched with an entirely automated
system that will run 20 hours a day, seven days a week from 5:00 AM to
1:00 AM and will reduce travel times from 50 – 90 minutes to 33 – 35
minutes. Moreover, the trains are expected to run every 6 to 12 minutes,
as opposed to the current frequency of 23 minutes on average the AMT
trains currently run at peak times. Additionally, the REM will be fully
integrated with the Greater Montréal Area’s existing public transit systems.
For example, there will be REM stations at three existing Métro stations
that lie on three separate lines; Édouard-Montpetit on the Blue line, Mcgill
on the Green line and Bonaventure on the Orange line which will also
connect to Central Station and all the AMT lines. The interconnectivity
between the AMT commuter trains, the STM’s Métro and new bus routes
servicing the REM and the REM itself show a bigger picture for the West
Island and its commuters, as well as its businesses. It is no secret that,
across Canada & including Montréal, young families are moving closer to
the city core; reversing the post-war suburban exodus that took place in
large cities across North America. This exodus has not only caused
increased traffic from and to the West Island during peak travel times, but
has put a strain on employees, who don’t necessarily own a car and have
to use the currently inefficient transit network to get to work. In turn, the
REM’s interconnectivity & accessibility will further bolster the West
Island’s access to a larger labour pool, allowing the area to thrive for years
to come.
city, especially during morning and evening rush hour times.
Current situation
It is no secret that commuters from the West Island are subject to a
terrible traffic situation day in and day out. According to a recent study
done by the transport consulting firm Steer Davies Gleave, there are an
estimated 65,278 automobile users heading from Pointe-Claire to
downtown Montréal between 6:00 AM & 9:00 AM and 148,162 users from
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM with morning peak drive times to downtown Montréal
ranging from 50 to 90 minutes on average depending on the time of year
and day. Unfortunately, Montréal’s roads and highways aren’t the only
type of transit infrastructure to face grueling congestion. Unfortunately,
commuters from the West Island using the AMT’s Deux-Montagnes or
Vaudreuil-Hudson lines are subject to the two lines with the highest
ridership, with approximately 32,000 and 18,000 daily riders, respectively.
Not only are they subject to a congested ride downtown, but a relatively
long one in terms of wait time and travel time. For example, the
Sunnybrooke station sees only eight trains travelling downtown during
peak morning hours, with an average of 25 minutes between each train
arriving at the station.
Technical aspects & transit restructuring
The CDPQ and AMT have stated that once operations of the REM begin,
the AMT Deux-Montagnes line will cease to exist and will be replaced by
the REM. Furthermore, the STM’s bus network in the West Island will
change substantially. Approximately 17 bus routes will no longer operate
(with eight of them being express routes) while 14 new routes will be
created to fully service the six West Island stations. The REM will also be
complemented with a Park & Ride network that will add 3,700 parking
spaces in the West Island. As for the CN rail line along Hymus boulevard,
it is unclear whether the REM will affect freight movement along the line,
but what is clear is that the REM will have dedicated aerial tracks from the
Doney Spur to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Prepared by:
Industrial Services Group:
Dimitri (Jimmy) Mouhteros
Research Associate – Industrial
+1 514 667 5691
[email protected]
Erik Charton, SIOR
Senior Vice-President
Real Estate Broker
+1 514 667 5692
[email protected]
Economic benefits
The CDPQ has noted that 7,500 jobs will be created every year during
the construction phase and a further 1,055 jobs will be created during the
operation phase. Additionally, this will increase Québec’s GDP by $3.2
billion and add $12.3 million to government revenues every year of
operation. The Saint-Laurent/West Island employment hub is the second
largest in the Greater Montréal Area and counts for more than 200,000
jobs. With the REM serving this hub, it will reduce economic losses
related to road congestion, which is estimated at $1.4 billion per year and
will increase productivity in employees, due to the time savings of their
commute. More importantly, while the value of real estate surrounding the
station will naturally increase, completion of the REM will spur substantial
new real estate development in areas in close proximity to the stations.
The CDPQ claims a “land value capture’’ would be put in place to real
estate developers, where development royalties would be put into place to
contribute to the financing of the REM and its future development.
Stéphane Robillard, SIOR
Vice-President
Real Estate Broker
+1 514 667 5674
[email protected]
© 2017 Jones Lang LaSalle IP, Inc. All rights reserved. All information contained
herein is from sources deemed reliable; however, no representation or warranty is
made to the accuracy thereof.
Peter Mouhteros
Associate
Certified Real Estate Broker, AEO
+1 514 667 5675
[email protected]
Victoriya Gouchtchina
Associate
Commercial Real Estate Broker
+1 514 667 5670
[email protected]
Sources: CDPQ Infra, 2016., Steer Davies Gleave, Summary Forecasting, 2016.