The Réseau express métropolitain project officially launches

CDPQ Infra announced today the official launch of its project to build largest public transportation network in Greater Montréal in 50 years: the Réseau express métropolitain (REM).

Less than two years after the project was announced, the REM becomes a reality:

• Construction will start in April.
• Initial testing will be conducted at the end of 2020.
• The first riders will begin boarding in the summer of 2021. 

Thanks to close collaboration with its partners, CDPQ Infra developed innovative solutions to achieve its objectives:

• Construction of a sustainable, high-quality public transportation system with high frequency and quick travel times.
• Met the $0.72/passenger-km cost target, which the ARTM will use to set it rates.
• Kept within announced financial parameters, with construction costs of $6.3 billion, a less than 5% variation from the preliminary estimates.
• No additional contribution from governments and the same estimated return levels.
   

Winning consortia

Following the rigorous analysis of the proposals received, the winning consortia are: 

Infrastructure engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)

Groupe NouvLR

Members:

• SNC Lavalin Grands Projets Inc.
• Dragados Canada Inc.
• Groupe Aecon Québec Ltée
• Pomerleau Inc.
• EBC Inc.

Participants (NouvLR Conception):

• SNC Lavalin Inc.
• Aecom Consultants Inc.

Provision of rolling stock and systems and operation and maintenance (RSSOM) contract

Groupe des Partenaires pour la Mobilité des Montréalais (PMM)

Members:

• Alstom Transport Canada Inc.
• SNC-Lavalin O&M Inc.

The two selected consortia will harmonize their respective proposals in the next few months to finalize the details of the schedule and begin work in the spring.

The integrity, fairness, probity and transparency of the process were confirmed by the independent committee comprised of three members external to CDPQ Infra and la Caisse – Me William J. Atkinson, Ph.D., Ad. E., the Honourable Me Marie Deschamps, C.C., Ad. E., former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and corporate director, and Jean-Pierre Desrosiers, C.M., FCPA, FCA, corporate director. External auditors also monitored each step. Their certifications are available for review.

Throughout the call for tenders process, the companies involved in the competition produced high quality work and they demonstrated openness, which led to today’s results. CDPQ Infra would like to thank them for their hard work.

Receptive to ideas and suggestions

Pursue a dialogue with communities

The dialogue established with all stakeholders will continue throughout the project to ensure that the REM integrates harmoniously in the various communities. To that end, a project management office will be created to oversee the planning of all future work and its coordination with the partners. A community relations office will be created to maintain close communication with the public.

An advisory committee will also be set up with the City of Montréal to discuss urban planning around REM stations. Inspired by international best practices, contests will be held for the urban planning around the Bassin Peel station entrances in the developing Griffintown and Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhoods bordering it. Details will be provided in the coming months.

Investment opportunities in existing shared-use assets

In parallel with the REM’s planning and development, la Caisse identified additional attractive investment opportunities for its infrastructure portfolio. Three shared-use, existing infrastructures, namely the Mont Royal tunnel, Central Station (rail infrastructure) and the Viaduc du Sud, have been or will be acquired and grouped in a new subsidiary of la Caisse (InfraMtl.co) to ensure continued public use.

This subsidiary will maintain these infrastructures shared with current and future operators. It will also generate a stable commercial return comparable to that of assets already in the portfolio.
 

Next steps

Once the consortia’s proposals are harmonized and their respective schedules are combined, a work schedule will be released. Following this, construction of the REM will begin in April. After a testing period at the end of 2020, the first branch of the REM will be operational in the summer of 2021.
 

Additional information

Various documents are available for review:

• Technical fact sheet 1 – REM procurement process
• Technical fact sheet 2 – Changes to the REM’s route
• Technical briefing presentation
• Independent committee and external auditor certifications