Latest news with #Jean-MarcArbaud
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
ARTM stops running shuttles during REM operating hours
Effective Monday, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain and CDPQ Infra ended the shuttle bus services operating along the REM route during the hours the light-rail network is running. In a statement issued on Saturday, the ARTM said the move follows a recent period of stability and reliable performance by the REM, which has been able to meet user needs effectively. The bus lines, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal and the Réseau de transport de Longueuil, which previously ran along the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge corridor, will no longer be in service during the day on weekdays. Low ridership levels on these shuttles were cited as the primary reason for their discontinuation during the day. The following bus routes will continue operating during hours when the REM is currently closed but would normally operate, from 8:20 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends: 568, between Gare Centrale and Île-des-Soeurs 720, between Île-des-Soeurs, Panama, Du Quartier and Brossard 721, between Gare Centrale, Du Quartier and Brossard 722, between Gare Centrale and Panama 'In recent weeks, the REM has regained a level of stability and reliability, allowing it to provide the predictability users expect,' CDPQ Infra president and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud said in the statement. The REM shuttles started after disruptions were caused by record snowfalls in February. Further disruptions after service resumed prompted Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault to demand the shuttles keep running even when the REM was in service. The REM will continue operating weekdays only until 8 p.m. until July 4, when the system will shut down entirely for six weeks as part of network-wide testing to prepare for the launch of the Deux-Montagnes and Anse-à-l'Orme branches, scheduled for October. An exception will be made for Grand Prix weekend, June 13 to 15, when the REM will run all day and evening. On Tuesday, REM service was interrupted again for more than 30 minutes during the morning rush hour. A 'technical issue' was cited as the reason. Shuttle buses were deployed. This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 4:18 PM.
CBC
04-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
As shuttle bus service ends, transit agency says REM can be trusted
As of Monday, people commuting between downtown Montreal and the South Shore will no longer have access to shuttle buses as a plan B — and the people behind the REM say you can trust that the light-rail train service will run smoothly from now on. Since February, the transit planning agency for the greater Montreal area, known by its French acronym ARTM, had arranged for shuttle buses to run parallel to the REM due to recurring technical problems with the light-rail train that caused many delays for commuters. During that time, both the ARTM and the CDPQ Infra — the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec that developed the REM — acknowledged that shuttle buses were a necessary backup plan because trains had become too unreliable. "Satisfying levels of stability and performance over the past few weeks allow us to efficiently meet the users' needs," the ARTM wrote in a statement this past weekend. Jean-Marc Arbaud, the president and CEO of CDPQ Infra, echoed those sentiments, adding that the REM service has become more predictable in recent weeks. The shuttle buses were operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and the Réseau de Transport de Longueuil (RTL). Here are the three shuttle buses that will no longer run: Shuttle bus 722 (RTL) between the Panama station and the Central Station in downtown Montreal. Shuttle bus 721 (STL) between the Brossard station and the Central Station. Shuttle bus 568 (STL) between the Île-des-Soeurs station and the Central Station. The REM's constant service issues drew the ire of riders as well as Doreen Asaad, the mayor of Brossard. In February, she called for bus lines 45 and 90 to be permanently re-established. The two lines transported riders over the Champlain Bridge to Montreal before the REM's non-compete clause axed them. Due to work on the REM's network, the service hours between downtown Montreal and the South Shore are restricted. Trains runs between 5:30 a.m. and about 8:40 p.m., depending on the direction. The REM is shut down on weekends. Shuttle buses will remain available after 8:40 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cadence Consortium to develop Alto high-speed rail project in Canada
The Canadian government has selected the Cadence Consortium as the preferred private developer partner for the Alto high-speed rail project between Quebec City and Toronto. The Cadence team comprises CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRealis, Keolis, Systra, SNCF Voyageurs, and Air Canada. In 2023, Canada's Minister for Transport Pablo Rodriguez moved forward with plans for the High Frequency Rail (HFR) project to build a new passenger rail line between Québec City and Toronto with the launch of the procurement process. The project will include trains that can reach speeds of up to 200km/h, 40km/h faster than the existing trains of Canada's passenger rail service and high-speed segments of track for faster travel. CDPQ Infra president and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud said: 'This landmark project is set to revolutionise mobility in Canada for future generations. 'The Cadence consortium's unparalleled expertise, synergy, and successful track record offer Alto, the Crown corporation with which we will develop this project, a trusted partner to bring this visionary project to life at the best possible cost.' Major infrastructure projects such as the Alto high-speed rail are pivotal in fostering a more productive economy, addressing the connectivity and mobility needs of Canadians, and supporting sustainable community development, according to Systra. The Alto rail project will link several key cities including Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, Laval, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto. Cadence has leveraged the expertise of its members to align with the vision and standards set for the project. Systra Group CEO Jean-Charles Vollery said: 'We are thrilled to be associated to Canada's initiative and vision for transforming the way people travel in the country. 'At Systra, we are driven by signature projects and Alto hits the spot! Together with our partners, we will bring expertise of delivering large-scale projects around the world, acquired over more than 65 years of providing sustainable rail solutions in Canada and abroad.' "Cadence Consortium to develop Alto high-speed rail project in Canada" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
CBC
13-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
North and west REM branches to begin carrying passengers in October
The head of CDPQ Infra, the company overseeing the construction of the Réseau express métropolitain, better known as the REM, says the north and west branches of the project will be up and running by October 2025. Jean-Marc Arbaud said in an interview with Radio-Canada that trains will begin running between Deux-Montagnes, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and downtown Montreal in March or April for testing. Later, in the summer, that testing will see the whole network shut down for six weeks, a CDPQ Infra spokesperson said on Thursday. Once that's complete, trains should begin carrying passengers along the entire REM route — except for the link to the airport — in October. Arbaud said the airport link is on track for the end of 2027. He said that the airport station is out of the control of CDPQ Infra because Aéroports de Montréal, the corporation in charge of the airport, is building it. Arbaud said the project needs about 100,000 travellers per day to be financially viable. He said that to get there, the REM will have to be reliable and fast. Arbaud said he knows it will be competitive — or faster — than the current time it takes a car to drive from one of the station's endpoints to downtown Montreal. And he said they are working on reliability. So far, snow has caused some problems. Since Dec. 1, the South Shore REM branch has had nine interruptions of 20 minutes or more, including three shutdowns within 24 hours at the beginning of February. "That's the last point we have to sort out if we are to provide a service that passengers have every right to expect," he said. "All our contractors are well aware of this, and we monitor it on a daily basis." The cost of the REM has climbed from $7 billion estimated in 2018 to now $9.4 billion. But Arbaud noted that the cost is actually about half or a third of other major public transit projects in the rest of Canada.
