REM is still innovative enough to foot the bill

The Metropolitan Express Network (REM) continues to explode in spending. It was learned that installing the ticket purchase system would cost at least $21 million more than originally estimated News magazine.

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First at $35 million in 2019, then $51 million in 2020, the cost to install the Opus Card system and tickets at REM stations is now more than $56 million.

The reasons for the recent increase: the purchase of more equipment, but delays in the delivery of the 26-station rail network of Caisse Depot and Placement du Québec (CDPQ).

These extra millions will probably be the flavor of the next few months. CDPQ has already announced that delays in project delivery will exceed its $6.9 billion budget, which does not include the ticketing system. But no update was done.

Scheduled for 2021, REM’s commissioning has been postponed three times and has yet to be launched. The section between Brossard and downtown Montreal will open this spring, but the other stations will not be served until 2024.

“Delays in bringing the REM into service will incur additional costs, particularly in terms of prolonged mobilization of the ticketing project office, storage of equipment and additional coordination,” said Regional Authority of Metropolitan Transport (ARTM) spokesman Simon Boitou.

Same tickets

Although CDPQ operates the REM, ARTM bears the costs of the ticketing system, so it remains the same as other transit agencies in Greater Montreal.

ARTM entrusted the project to the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM).

Earlier in the month, STM’s Board of Directors voted a $2 million budget increase for the two engineering firms for related professional services.

“The commissioning of REM was delayed by CDPQ Infra for about six months, preventing STM from implementing the ticketing solution at REM facilities at the time initially planned. The extension of the project requires an increase in the resource effort of both organizations”, refer to the documents of the Board of Directors of the STM.