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Gare Centrale

Gare Centrale is, for now, the Northern Terminus of the Réseau Express Métropolitain. Once the network expands North, it will be come a through station in the core segment of the network. The station is located on the former platforms of track 9 through 12 which were used for EXO (former AMT services until their rebranding in 2018) through the Mount Royal Tunnel. To allow for the construction of the REM and its station in Gare Centrale, EXO Deux-Montagnes closed between Bois-Franc and Gare Centrale on May 11, 2020.

To create additional space for the island platform and create a waiting area for passengers, tracks 10 and 11 were infilled for the widening of the platform. Trains circulate on track 9 and track 12. Track 7 and 8 can be used for train storage as needed for operations. Due to its location, the station has multiple access points for passengers: from the south, through Place Bonaventure (unidentified entry, but identified exit) or from the North through Gare Centrale's Salle des Pas Perdus, or through the hallway that connects Gare Centrale with the Bonnaventure Metro Station.

Once outside the REM station, passengers can connect with various other services: exo3, Amtrak, VIA Rail, Mansfield Bus Terminal, STM bus routes, the Orange Line of the Metro at Bonnaventure and the Downtown Bus Terminal. All of those connections are done outside of the fare paid area.

Gare Centrale is also where passengers can find the customer service desk for the REM, located at the northern end of the station.

UNIQUE FEATURES
  • Unlike Brossard, Gare Centrale will only be temporary terminus for the REM: once the Anse-À-L'Orme (A3) and Deux-Montagnes (A4) branches open, services will continue through the Mount Royal Tunnel, transforming the terminus station into a through station.
  • Of the five initial stations of the REM, it is the only one that had a previous railway vocation. Over the years, it has been used for commuter and intercity passenger services.
  • Track 7 and 8 were formally used by Canadian National as a maintenance track for rolling stock repairs, including the UAC TurboTrain that operated between Montreal and Toronto. Nowadays, those tracks will be used for storage of spares or for the removal of disabled trains during service outages.
  • Through the Underground City (RÉSO), this station will connect with the future McGill Station via Place Ville-Marie and the Eaton Centre, as well as both the Green and Orange line of the Metro (only Bonnaventure is indicated as a connection on the map).
  • At its opening, the station does not feature faregates. As of writing, they are expected to be installed by the end of Fall 2023.
  • At the platform level, passengers can observe two different colors of tiles: the darker grey tiles indicate where track 10 and 11 were formally located while the lighter tile denotes the original platform locations. The original concrete structural elements were restored to act as a central divider within the station and can also be observed on the other platforms throughout Gare Centrale.
  • The ceilling was designed to be an open grid where all components are exposed as a nod to the complexity of the site and its various interconnexions with the surrounding facilities and buildings.
  • Due to its proximity to the other platforms at Gare Centrale, it is possible to observe VIA and EXO trains while they are in station and departing.
STATION FACTS AND MAP
  • Opening Date: July 31, 2023
  • Line: Main Segment | Gare Centrale - Brossard
  • Previous Station: Griffintown-Bernard-Landry (at a future date), Île-des-Soeurs (at opening).
  • Following Station: McGill (2024)
  • Platforms: 1 Island, 2 tracks.
  • Platform Depth: 3.1m below street level
  • Fare zone: A
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