REM West Island branch opens Friday after 12-year wait
Anse-à-l'Orme line connects Pointe-Claire to downtown McGill in 33 minutes
The long-awaited West Island branch of the REM rapid transit system officially opened to the public Friday, marking a major milestone for the region after more than a decade of construction. The Anse-à-l'Orme branch spans four stations between Pointe-Claire and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue across 14 kilometres, with service running 20 hours daily from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Riders can now reach downtown's McGill station in 33 minutes from the Anse-à-l'Orme terminus, or just 22 minutes from Des Sources station. The line will operate more than 80 trains per day. "It's going to be a real game-changer for the people of the West Island," said Carl Corbel, director of REM operations for CDPQ Infra.