Riders huddled to the new Deux-Montagnes station for a free-fare weekend
The newly reopened Deux-Montagnes REM station (Matthew Daldalian, North Shore News)
By Matthew Daldalian
Saturday Nov. 15, the line to enter the brand-new REM station snaked around the building all morning — long, cold, but moving quickly.
The REM, or the Réseau Express Métropolitain, is a fully automated, electric light-rail system that runs driverless trains on a dedicated right-of-way. It’s designed to move riders every few minutes, making it closer to a rapid-transit network than the old commuter rail it replaces.
Staff handed out warm drinks, paper “passports” to stamp at each stop, and small cardboard REM trains for kids to assemble. It felt less like the launch of a transit line and more like a community event.
I joined the crowd at Deux-Montagnes, boarding one of the first north-shore trains to head all the way to downtown Montreal. For the first time since the EXO line shut down in 2020 when CDPQ Infra, a primary contractor for major public infrastructure projects, took over the former line and closed it for conversion to the REM.
Now, rail service is back and people showed up to test it out.
‘We’re here just for the opening’
One of the first riders I met wasn’t local.
For Alex Reyes, who travelled from New York with his wife specifically for the opening, the moment felt rare. “We got here just in time,” he said.
Alex Reyes, who travelled from New York with his wife for the opening of the REM’s Deux-Montagnes branch, stands outside the station on Saturday morning. (Matthew Daldalian, North Shore News)
Reyes said new rapid-transit projects are unusual on the U.S. east coast. “There isn’t really much new transit popping up,” he added, noting the most recent major project was New York’s Grand Central Madison concourse in 2023.
He said Montreal’s driverless trains and rebuilt stations are impressive adding he was intrigued by the Île Bigras stop.
Inside the station, families came close against the glass to watch the first automated trains glide in, silent except for the electric hum. The platform screens counted down the next departures: two minutes, then one.
The ride
Once on board, the train felt airy and bright, not packed until further down the lane. Kids sat on parents’ laps, some riders filming, others flipping through their stamp passports.
“I really like how quick it is and that it’s automated,” Reyes told me after we rode. “And the fact everything is brand new, that’s a lot of fun.”
The REM’s technology is hard to ignore: driverless trains, platform screen doors, and service every few minutes once the system is at full frequency. For now, the Deux-Montagnes branch runs on a restricted schedule, with testing continuing ahead of the Anse-à-l’Orme opening next spring.
Transit agents guide riders through the fare gates inside Gran-Moulin station as the REM launches its extended branch. (Matthew Daldalian, North Shore News)
The Deux-Montagnes branch adds 14 stations and links with the orange, green and blue métro lines, as well as the Mascouche commuter rail line. It introduces several new stops that didn’t exist on the former EXO route it replaces.
The trip to Central Station took under an hour — give or take 40 minutes. The ride was smooth, though not flawless; a brief slowdown approaching Côte-de-Liesse prompted a few grumbles.
After previous reporting on overcrowding and shutdowns on the South Shore branch, riders told me they expected “hiccups.”
Still, on opening day, nobody seemed genuinely bothered.
Locals return to rail — at last
At the entrance, I met Lisa Mailhot, bundled up with her young son, both smiling despite the wind.
Mailhot said her family relied heavily on the old commuter train and felt the absence. “My family is in Montreal, so we used it a lot,” she said of the old line. “We were really excited to see [the REM] running.”
Lisa Mailhot and her son pose outside Deux-Montagnes station after testing the new REM service on opening day. (Matthew Daldalian, North Shore News)
Mailhot, who came with her young son, said the modernized platforms and signage looked promising. “Honestly, I haven’t taken it yet, but when I look at it, it’s impressive,” she said. “It looks well-indicated. It looks good.”
‘There’s nothing around here’
Not everyone lining up was focused only on the train.
Michelle Archambault, a nearby resident, said the REM’s return fills a mobility gap, but the neighbourhood around the terminal is still bare.
The elderly North-Shorite said the new trains restored an important connection, but the neighbourhood still lacks community spaces. “In general, I always go to Laval because there’s nothing around here,” she said.
Archambault said she wants Rosemère and Deux-Montagnes to grow alongside the new infrastructure. “More activities would help,” she added.
A view from the tracks
From inside the train, the REM delivers what its builders promised: a quiet, modern ride with smooth acceleration and crisp, bright interiors.
But on the platforms, opening day revealed some early realities. Crowds thickened as the morning went on, with families packing into cars as the line approached the busiest stations.
And for now, the newly opened branch still operates on limited hours, with service to Deux-Montagnes ending at around 9:30 p.m. as testing continues.
Passengers crowd into one of the first REM trains departing from Deux-Montagnes during the free-fare opening weekend. (Matthew Daldalian, North Shore News)
The excitement of opening day remained high, but the system now faces pressure to deliver consistently after years of delays and criticism directed at CDPQ Infra.
Despite that, the trip into downtown was undeniably fast: no traffic, no transfers, no big delays beyond minor slowdowns. When the entire system is fully operational, that speed will matter even more.
A new chapter begins
Stepping off at each station, Reyes and his wife immediately head for their next stamp.
“This is just fun,” he said. “It’s cool to see something new actually open.”
The sentiment was shared up and down the platforms: relief, excitement, curiosity — and for many, a sense of getting back a connection they lost years ago.
The next few months will reveal how well the REM holds up beyond its opening-day crowds.
