Big Light Rail Expansion Planned in Montreal

"Montreal's light-rail network will be extended by about 30 kilometres, bringing it into Montréal-Nord and Pointe-aux-Trembles," according to an article published by CBC that preceded an official announcement of the project by a day. The extensions are added to a system still under construction, with commissioning expected in 2022.

The extension will also add a total of 23 stations to the system, with work expected to begin on both sections in 2023. 

"The extension to the east would begin at Gare Centrale, where the train would run along René-Levesque Boulevard above ground all the way to Notre-Dame Street east of the Jacques Cartier Bridge," according to the article. "The tracks will then extend to Dickson Street, where they will bifurcate — one going north underground following Lacordaire Boulevard to Cégep Marie-Victorin and the other going east to Pointe-aux-Trembles along Sherbrooke Street."

More details about the project can be found in a press release from the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec published on December 15.

Here's how the press release describes the process that led to the announcement:

Following the Québec government’s mandate, this transit solution was identified after a thorough study of the technical and economic aspects. This study confirms that the project is viable: it meets the transportation needs of local communities, and allows CDPQ to generate the necessary returns to meet the expectations of its depositors while supporting Québec’s economic recovery in the years to come.

The projects are expected to total $10 billion—the largest-ever investment in public transit in the province of Quebec.