TMR gets a park to cover part of the REM line

A section of the train tracks that run through Town of Mount Royal will eventually be covered — a move that will pave the way for a new public space at the heart of the municipality.

The plan is to cover around 150 metres of track between the Laird Boulevard and Cornwall Avenue bridges, near the centre of TMR, and create a 2,100 square-metre park on top.

It's a joint effort between the municipality and CDPQ Infra, the Caisse de dépôt subsidiary in charge of building the new light-rail system known as the REM.

"The city is literally cut in two by the railway track," said Mayor Philippe Roy. "With this new public space, we're going to link the two sides and provide a central place where communities can have events."

TMR has been fighting to have the 1.8 kilometres of track on its territory buried to minimize the increased disruptions expected once the light-rail trains start running in 2024.

The municipality claims that 550 REM trains will be passing through every weekday, with hundreds more on weekends.

CDPQ Infra says it will continue to respect its noise-level targets during the construction phase, and will do the same once the REM is operational. 

Roy said he hasn't given up on having the tracks covered in their entirety. He considers Monday's announcement a step in that direction.

TMR will design the project, but it will be owned by CDPQ Infra, which will also be responsible for upkeep.

Town of Mount Royal will contribute $6.5 million toward the park's creation. CDPQ Infra says it has found a way to make it happen without increasing the REM's $6.3-billion price tag.

The REM will have 26 stations along a 67-kilometre track and run 20 hours a day. It will connect downtown, the West Island and the North and South shores.