Canada’s deepest train station takes shape in Montreal – Montreal | The Canadian News

From the track installation to the trains being tested, many Montreal commuters have witnessed the progress made on the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM).

But not all the work that is being done on the future electric train network is visible. Some of this is happening deep within the earth.

That is the case in the Outremont district of Montreal, where work is being done on the Édouard-Montpetit station.

At 70 meters, it is the deepest station in Canada, according to REM contractor CDPQ Infra.

Emmanuelle Rouillard-Moreau, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, said it was necessary to build at that depth to reach the Mount-Royal tunnel where the REM station connects.

He added that the work comes with numerous challenges, not only because of the depth and hardness of Mount Royal’s bedrock, but because of its proximity to schools, homes and public services.

“Rigorous measures were implemented at all times to ensure the safety of workers, the public and infrastructure, ”he said.

Traversing the bedrock required blasting in such a way as to reduce vibrations and limit potential impact on surrounding areas.

“Throughout the work, about 20 seismographs around the site monitored the effect of each explosion in real time,” Rouillard-Moreau said.

To date, 30,000 cubic meters of rock have been excavated from the site and used as ballast on the Deux-Montagnes branch line.

CDPQ Infra said the excavation work, which was like digging a hole the size of a 20-story building, was completed in 2019, allowing construction of the station to begin.

Work inside the station is expected to begin in the coming months, with bedrock slabs integrated into the final design.

“It’s reminiscent of all the work that went into building this station,” Rouillard-Moreau said.

The station is expected to be finished by 2023, and by all accounts, going underground might seem more like going to an amusement park than a train station.

“The station will be accessible via five high-speed elevators that will travel the equivalent of a 20-story building in less than 30 seconds,” said Rouillard-Moreau.

And from there, it will be a quick train ride downtown.

“The REM station will connect the Outremont district and downtown in just three minutes, while offering a quick connection to the green line (via McGill station) and the orange line (via Bonaventure station ) “.