🚨 Major Transit Shake-Up: Vaudreuil-Soulanges Bus Network Gets Overhaul Ahead of REM Expansion

🚨 Major Transit Shake-Up: Vaudreuil-Soulanges Bus Network Gets Overhaul Ahead of REM Expansion

Commuters in Vaudreuil-Soulanges are bracing for big changes as the region’s bus network undergoes a significant transformation this spring, driven by the long-awaited opening of the REM’s Anse-à-l’Orme branch.

The new REM extension will link Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue in Montreal’s West Island directly to downtown, prompting transit authorities to rethink how riders get there. Exo says the overhaul will include updates to routes, schedules, stops, and even bus numbers — all aimed at improving service and strengthening connections to major transit hubs like the REM and the Vaudreuil-Hudson train line.

Key routes scrapped — and what replaces them

Several well-used bus lines will disappear under the new plan:

• Bus 40, which currently connects the Vaudreuil-Dorion train station to Côte-Vertu metro, will be eliminated. Riders will instead rely on routes 490, 491, and 591 to reach the REM from Vaudreuil-Dorion.

• Bus 91, linking Vaudreuil-Dorion to Cégep Gérald-Godin, will also be cut. Commuters will be redirected to the REM via the new Anse-à-l’Orme station, with onward connections through the REM or STM network.

• Bus 44, which runs between Pincourt–Terrasse-Vaudreuil station and John Abbott College, is also being retired.

In its place, a new bus 493 will be introduced, connecting Vaudreuil-Dorion station to John Abbott College via Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac.

A shift toward REM-focused commuting

Transit officials say the changes are designed to modernize the system and better integrate off-island communities with Montreal’s growing rapid transit network.

“The goal is not just to maintain access, but to improve it,” said a spokesperson for the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM). “We want to offer more efficient routes and better options for reaching REM stations for the majority of riders.”

What commuters need to know

The changes will only take effect once the REM’s new branch officially opens — a date that has yet to be confirmed. However, testing for the line began on March 6, signalling that the launch is getting closer.

In the meantime, Exo says it will provide updated route information online through its Secteur La Presqu’Île page, and staff will be deployed on the ground to help commuters navigate the transition.

For many residents west of Montreal, the overhaul marks a major shift in how they’ll travel — with the REM set to become the backbone of daily commuting in the region.