Montreal-area river shuttle season kicks off with new stop in Varennes

Montreal river shuttle.

The Montreal regional transport authority (ARTM) has launched its river shuttle service for the season – and this year it's expanding its service.

The authority announced Monday it is adding a new stop on the Riviere-des-Prairies route from the Old Port in Montreal, and will now head to the South Shore town of Varennes.

Here's the full list of routes:

MORE INFO: STM River shuttle service

The ARTM also said it is adding extra hours on some routes to encourage more people to use the shuttle services.

"We also have adapted the schedules to better suit the needs of people who are going to work, to school. So we have early departures and later departures as well," said Simon Boiteau, spokesperson for the ARTM.

"We have also extended the season, so river shuttles will start earlier in the spring and service will end later in the fall."

Due to high water levels that prevent the installation of docks, departures and stops at Île Sainte-Hélène and Varennes begin later in the spring.

Anyone using the water shuttle service is advised to reserve a seat in advance. Tickets cost $5.50 and are included in the weekly or monthly regional transport authority pass.

Launched in 2021, the river shuttle welcomed some 256,000 passengers last season.

"River shuttles allow citizens to benefit from significant travel time savings, particularly between the South Shore and the Island of Montreal," said ARTM Director General Benoît Gendron in a news release.

"The river shuttle between Boucherville and Montreal is one of the many public transit mitigation measures offered to citizens affected by the work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. Its popularity last year proves that the service meets a real need. Every trip that can be made other than by car counts," added Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault.

Access to the Montreal-Mercier ─ Boucherville link is free at all times.