Caisse's Emond 'extraordinarily proud' of REM's early success

4 months ago 3 min read

The Montreal area’s latest transit company has surpassed the expectations of its proprietor.

The Réseau specific métropolitain formally went into service for paying prospects on July 31 and broke down for roughly 90 minutes throughout its first morning rush hour.

Talking to reporters throughout an replace of its monetary outcomes Wednesday, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec CEO Charles Emond revealed the electrical driverless light-rail system has achieved a 99-per-cent on-time fee ferrying a median of 25,000 riders per day between Brossard and downtown Montreal. The Caisse is the principal proprietor and operator of the REM by means of its subsidiary CDPQ Infra.

“My expectations are naturally at all times excessive, however I might say that I’m very happy with 99 per cent,” Emond mentioned. “We’re nonetheless on this coaching interval, working extraordinarily arduous to ensure this prepare, which is a pc, reacts completely and will get there on time.”

He mentioned the 99-per-cent punctuality fee is spectacular, contemplating that’s the fee anticipated for transit techniques after a few years of operations.

“I’m not saying there gained’t be any extra incidents, however the actuality is I’m extraordinarily proud, as a result of there’s a sense of urgency,” he mentioned. “We’re studying from each incident that occurs, and the operator makes corrective measures. Thus far so good. I’m delighted with the end result.”

The REM presently has simply 5 stations over 17 kilometres, however the mission is slated to span over 68 kilometres and serve 26 stations throughout the Montreal area.

Emond mentioned the following two branches of the mission — to Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and Deux-Montagnes — are nonetheless projected to enter into service by the top of subsequent 12 months, and mentioned it’s a ‘very aggressive timeline.’

As for the delays within the mission, Emond mentioned they must be stacked up with different main transit tasks, because the REM’s development solely started in 2018. Delivering a accomplished mission in lower than 10 years is spectacular when in comparison with comparable tasks just like the high-speed rail hyperlink in California, which is anticipated to take 13 years, and the same mission in Hawaii, which simply started development, however is anticipated to final 12 years.

“The pace at which the REM was constructed is nothing in need of outstanding,” he mentioned.

The Canada Line in Vancouver, which was financed partially by the Caisse, was accomplished in 4 years, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

There have been some bumps within the highway with the REM’s development, as work within the Mount Royal Tunnel was delayed by an explosion. The pandemic and world provide chain challenge additionally hampered the mission. The latest value projection for the mission was about $7 billion, however Emond informed reporters in the course of the REM’s launch he expects the ultimate value of the mission will as soon as once more improve. The Caisse expects to publicly unveil an replace in the price of the general mission within the first two weeks of September.

[email protected]

twitter.com/jasonmagder