STM to roll out redesigned bus network in Centre-Nord, West Island tied to REM expansion
Posted February 5, 2026 4:59 pm.
Montreal’s transit agency is redesigning its bus network across the Centre-Nord and West Island to better connect riders with the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), promising more direct routes, fewer transfers and expanded evening and weekend service.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) says the overhaul will simplify routes, improve coverage and create stronger links between buses, the metro, commuter trains, taxibuses and the REM.
More than 80 bus lines will be adjusted, affecting six boroughs and nine linked cities, nearly 40 per cent of the island and serving more than 375,000 people.
The changes are scheduled to take effect in the spring, though the STM says the rollout depends on the opening of the REM’s Anse-à-l’Orme branch.
The transit agency says the redesign will add 246 new stops for a total of 3,411, eliminate about 14,000 transfers by reducing the number of buses riders need to take, and give 29,000 more people access to a high-frequency route within a 750-metre walk.
About 67,000 trips are expected to be shortened by at least five minutes.
The network is being reworked to provide more direct lines, simplified service and extended hours, with signage and information panels to help riders navigate the transition.
The STM says outreach activities and information sessions will be held in neighbourhoods ahead of the launch to help riders adjust to the new network.
