The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), to which the Quebec government entrusted the management of the Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM) two weeks ago, does not rule out the possibility of implementing a light rail with a driver, which would allow it to run on the ground in an urban environment, like a tram. But like the project piloted by the Caisse de placement et depot du Québec (CDPQ), the future train could retain aerial and underground sections.
In interview at To have tothe director general of the ARTM, Benoît Gendron, indicates that several scenarios will be examined.
“We are starting with what has been done by the Caisse, that is to say a driverless light metro, and we will look at what we can do in terms of integration. It is too early to say what the solution will be,” he explains.
The ARTM is particularly aware of citizen opposition to aerial structures in Mercier-Est. “There is the possibility of putting the train on the ground, but if we do that, we have to cross intersections”, underlines Benoît Gendron. In this context, a train piloted by a driver — unlike CDPQ Infra’s REM de l’Est project, which was automated and driverless — would allow it to run on the ground, but it would be slower in this sector, points out Mr. Gendron. .
The other option would be to run the train underground on this section, but the cost would then be increased. “That’s all that the committee will have to look at to determine an optimal solution. Other sections of the future network also present significant challenges.
One thing is certain, however: the ARTM will no longer be able to use the name “REM de l’Est”, which is a registered trademark belonging to the Caisse. For the moment, the project is temporarily called “structuring mode in the East”. “We will have to find another name for it because that does not mean much,” admits Mr. Gendron.
Remember that on May 2, the government of François Legault gave the ARTM the mandate to set up a light rail in the East after Quebec and the City of Montreal had agreed to abandon the aerial section in the center- city. CDPQ Infra having left the ship, the ARTM and its partners, namely the Ministère des Transports du Québec, the Société de transport de Montréal and the City of Montreal, will have to submit a proposal to the government by the end of the year.
The mandate, which has not yet been formalized on paper, dictates several conditions to the ARTM. In addition to improving the urban integration of the train in Mercier-Est, the Authority must provide for the extension of the eastern branch towards Lanaudière, taking into account Exo’s Train de l’Est towards Mascouche. He must also analyze an extension of the northern branch towards Rivière-des-Prairies and Laval. Quebec also wants better connectivity with the metro, the green and blue lines.
The issue of the Train de l’Est
The ARTM will have to juggle all these elements, taking into account the costs and technical issues specific to each sector. For the moment, the team does not know if the envelope of 10 billion dollars planned for the REM de l’Est is maintained.
The ARTM, which must hold a first real working meeting within two weeks with its partners, has still not received the studies carried out by CDPQ Infra, which is negotiating with Quebec for the reimbursement of its expenses, approximately $100 million. “I don’t have any signals that show there’s going to be an undue delay with this. We also try to have a transfer of expertise between the Caisse and us to ensure that there is a smooth passage of the ball, ”says Mr. Gendron.
The withdrawal of CDPQ Infra from the file considerably modifies the way of approaching the project and its financial arrangement, the ARTM not being bound by profitability objectives like the Caisse was. “We are looking at the project from the metropolitan point of view, and not from a profitability perspective. Our job is to move people as efficiently as possible by maximizing the use of existing infrastructure. »
Among the challenges awaiting the ARTM is the Train de l’Est, which the REM de l’Ouest had already cut with the transfer imposed at the A40 station. Connecting the Train de l’Est to the future light train from the East is nonsense, according to Mr. Gendron. “A train that arrives with 2,000 people on board usually never falls back on a smaller mode. It does not hold up,” he says, recalling that the REM de la Caisse planned to transport a maximum of 200 passengers. The ARTM therefore intends to examine the possibility of using the Train de l’Est infrastructure to run its light rail towards Lanaudière. “We want to maximize the use of infrastructure. This is why the government is asking us to look at a possible extension. »
Citizen demands
The ARTM has already begun to probe the ground. On Wednesday evening, Michel Lemay, Executive Director of Public Affairs at the ARTM, also participated in a citizens’ assembly organized by Collectif en environnement Mercier-Est (CEM-E). The residents of Mercier-Est and Pointe-aux-Trembles did not fail to remind him that they wanted their concerns to be taken into account. Since the launch of the project in December 2020, they have denounced aerial structures, which risk disfiguring their neighborhoods. “What isn’t good for the city center isn’t good for the east either,” recalled a citizen.
Michel Lemay wanted to reassure them. “I don’t know if we’re going to come up with a solution that will make everyone happy and happy. But it is certain that we will be attentive to the needs of the community and the issues of urban integration. »
Vice-president of the Collective, Daniel Chartier said he was satisfied with the meeting. “Mr. Lemay was really very open. It was different from the wooden language of CDPQ Infra. It was poles apart. He showed a willingness to do things right. »