Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Premier François Legault announced that the REM de l'Est light rail line will be very different from what was originally planned.

Dissatisfaction with the REM de l'Est project proposed by Caisse de Depot et placement du Québec, the two government leaders announced that the portion of the line that was supposed to run through the heart of downtown Montreal, above ground, will be abandoned due to social non-acceptance.

Instead, only the eastern portion of the REM will be developed on sections that already have broad public support, and the city of Montreal and the province will take over the project.

Legault said in a press statement on Monday, "From day one, our goal was to achieve the best possible public transit project in the eastern part of the Greater Montreal area." "The project has evolved over time, and it must continue to evolve. We are making the necessary adjustments to fulfill our commitment to build the REM de l'Est."

Thus, the REM de l'Est will be connected to the metro, a decision meaning that the project no longer fits within the financial structure of the subsidiary Caisse CDPQ Infra and, therefore, the project management will be entrusted to a team composed of Quebec's Ministry of Transport, the city of Montreal, and Société de Transport in collaboration with the transit planning group ARTM (Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain).

A group of citizens expressed concerns about how the rail line will change downtown Montreal and landmarks such as the arched entrance point to Chinatown.

ARTM issued a report in February saying the line would not be worth $10 billion based on riding habits in the eastern end. Plante said, "We are taking the necessary steps to implement REM de l'Est in a model manner, based on citizens' and experts' requests." "The guidelines agreed upon by the city of Montreal and the Quebec government for the eastern REM area will provide a structural transit link to under-served sectors, leveraging the existing network."

CDPQ said in a statement on Monday that it will ask the government for compensation for the "detailed technical studies" it conducted for the project, according to the terms of their agreement.