Montreal isn’t such a small city, but sometimes the public transportation system makes it feel like a village. The four metro lines (blue, orange, yellow, and green), the REM (mysterious), and the buses that are always just ahead of us, making us watch them drive away, make Montreal a city where we prefer to ride our bikes most of the time—right?
Of course, like everywhere else in the world, Montreal’s public transportation system is actually very efficient. But when you have a bad day (or a bad week), that’s always what we complain about the most. And biking is good for your health.
However, there is only one way to get to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) —by taking the 747 bus, which crosses the island of Montreal right through its center… until now.
The REM, the Anse-à-l’Orme branch, and YUL airport
REM is an acronym for Réseau Express Métropolitain ( Metropolitan Express Network). It is a 100% electric metro system which, unlike the Montreal metro (with its colored lines), covers a much larger area with four branches: Montreal, Brossard, Laval, and Deux-Montagnes (since November 2025).
From the Montreal metro, you can reach the REM at Bonaventure station (orange line), McGill station (green line), and Édouard-Monpetit station (blue line).
The network is currently about 50 km long, but with a new branch line scheduled to open in 2027 if deadlines are met, it will be 67 km long.
The REM’s fifth branch will connect downtown Montreal to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the West Island, and the airport. The stations under construction this winter are Des Sources, Fairview-Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Anse-à-l’Orme, Marie-Curie, and YUL-Montreal-Trudeau Airport.
On January 9, 2026, the REM made its first run on the branch line, marking the start of track and system validation on this section, which is still under construction. This segment, which will connect the Island of Montreal to Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, is scheduled to open in 2027.
We will keep you informed when we have more information about the construction of the Anse-à-l’Orme REM station.