REM to publish text alerts in ‘a few weeks,’ as they explain winter plan

Within “a few weeks”, users of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) could receive a text alert to warn them of service interruptions.

“People need to be able to receive a text message if they have a problem,” said CDPQ Infra President and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud at a press conference in Montreal on Friday to discuss how the REM team’s preparation for winter conditions. “Even if it happens very rarely, it’s reassuring to know that if there’s a problem, I (the user) will know about it.”

For the time being, REM uses its website and the X platform to communicate with its users. His team had been criticized for poor communication during periods of service interruption.

Marc Boucher, Senior Vice-President for Major Projects and Engineering Services at AtkinsRéalis, acknowledged that there had been problems with the quality of the message and the speed with which it was delivered.

He stressed that the control room teams had to assess the situation and make decisions before communicating with users. With time, the teams will know more quickly what to do, depending on the problem. “The experience of these people will improve over time.”

‘Ready for winter conditions’

This will be the REM’s first winter season and those who built the light rail network say it’s been designed to withstand Montreal’s weather.

The system has been plagued with some delays since it opened to the public at the end of July.

CDPQ Infra and the Groupe des partenaires pour la mobilité métropolitaine (GPMM), made up of Alstom and AtkinsRéalis, presented their winter plan on Friday.

They say their priority is to “maintain a safe, reliable and accessible network for all users.”

But they say – heated windshields, snowploughs in front of cars to help clean the tracks as it moves, brakes with functions that prevent ice and snow buildups for precise stops, heated door thresholds and floors – are all part of the mechanisms that will help keep it running – and make it reliable this winter – they assure.

They tested winter operations for two winters on specific segments and one winter tested on the entire line between Brossard and Gare Centrale.

There is also a specialized machine to help clear snow from the tracks – running outside operating hours to keep the tracks clear.

Their snow plan includes a weather watch for 12 hours – for prevention, track and switch preparation, and team deployment.

There is a command centre they say with real-time adaptions of operations – and they will deploy shuttle buses as needed.

They will have maintenance teams for snow and ice removal from station accesses.

They promise response agents that will be ready for quick interventions.

To note for users: on Saturday, Dec. 9, the REM will be exceptionally available from 7:30 a.m., due to a systems update. Bus shuttles will run from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., between Brossard and Gare Centrale stations.

With files from Stéphane Rolland, La Presse Canadienne, translated by CityNews