Montreal Blue Line extension tunnel boring machine named ‘Lisette’ as construction moves underground
Posted May 19, 2026 9:54 am.
Last Updated May 19, 2026 2:48 pm.
Construction of Montreal’s long-awaited Blue Line extension has entered a major new phase as the tunnel boring machine “Lisette” officially began excavation work toward the future Anjou station.
Provincial and municipal officials gathered Tuesday near the future Vertières station, at the corner of Pie-IX Boulevard and Jean-Talon Street, to mark the launch of the massive machine following months of assembly and technical testing.
“Well, I’m so proud to be here,” said Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Montreal Mayor. “I mean, on a personal level, this is a full circle moment. I’m a citizen of Montreal, and I’ve lived in the quartier St Michel for a long time.”
The tunnel boring machine, measuring 9.7 metres wide and more than 100 metres long, will excavate 4.6 kilometres of the six-kilometre tunnel that will make up the Blue Line extension. The machine is expected to advance at a rate of 10 to 15 metres per day and reach the future Anjou station in 2028.
Officials say the technology is being used for the first time in Montreal’s metro network and allows the machine to simultaneously excavate the tunnel, remove rock and install concrete tunnel walls in a single pass.
“The commissioning of the tunnel boring machine marks a historic moment for mobility in Montreal’s East End,” said Benoit Charette, Quebec’s transport and sustainable mobility minister.
“Public transit occupies a central place for our government and our investment in this project is a concrete example of that. In doing so, we are supporting the quality of life and mobility of Montreal residents,” he said.
More than 300,000 cubic metres of rock will be removed during excavation and transported to the nearby Saint-Michel quarry for possible reuse by the City of Montreal.
“We have 800 people working here and people from all across Quebec,” said Martinez Ferrada. “So, when we talk about the economy, that’s the economy of the future and that’s the economy that we need to do in terms of having the development of an economy and also giving the services that people need in terms of transportation.”
The machine was named “Lisette” following a public vote held earlier this year. The name honours Lisette St-Onge, who became the first female Montreal metro operator in 1981.
Officials say the project marks a significant milestone for public transit in Montreal’s East End, where residents have waited decades for the Blue Line extension.
The $7.6-billion project is expected to be completed by 2031 and will add five new stations to the metro network.
