REM: Special shuttle bus service added amid service slowdowns

In the wake of repeated service disruptions and slowdowns on the REM, additional shuttle buses were deployed Thursday morning to help facilitate travel between Montreal and the South Shore.

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) said in a press release that “this temporary measure, for an indefinite period, offered during rush hours, aims to offer an additional option to users, until the REM resolves the current technical problems.”

The buses are being provided from the STM and the RTL in Longueuil. REM officials tell CityNews that it’s about “tens of buses.”

“These buses will be available as long as our operators of the REM, as well as our supplier of rolling material Alstom, can bring back the service to the level it should be,” said Francis Labbé, spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, which owns the REM.

On Thursday morning, there was indeed another slowdown of service due to a technical problem on the network between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.

There was then a full network shutdown before 9 a.m. due to another “technical issue” for an undetermined time.

This, after being plagued with issues earlier in the week, including a power outage that resulted in a full network shutdown.

“Work must still be done to our rail switches to allow us to maneuver the trains in a way we can offer a regular service,” Labbé said in an e-mail statement Wednesday evening.

On Tuesday afternoon, Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault had an emergency meeting with REM officials and said all parties have to take responsibility — and they have to find the source of the problems. She added that the government no longer wants REM breakdowns during storms.

The REM attributed the  disruptions to the snow and cold weather. But it left many commuters to wonder if the system can withstand Quebec winters.

“Our switches have been affected by the important amount of snow and the wind these past days and interventions must be made on a regular basis to remove ice and snow impeaching the mechanisms to function,” said Labbé. “Crews […] are at work to correct this situation as quickly as possible, meanwhile Alstom and our specialists are evaluating options to correct this situation on a permanent basis.”

Throughout all disruptions, shuttle buses have been deployed, but the special service will now be in place consistently amid the work.

• Buses offered:
  • Between Gare Centrale and Brossard: STM shuttle 721, frequency every four minutes during peak hours (6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) on weekdays.
  • Between Gare Centrale and Île-des-Sœurs: STM shuttle 568, frequency every 20 minutes during peak hours (6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) 7 days a week.
  • Between Central Station and Panama Station: RTL shuttle 722, frequency every 10 minutes during peak hours (6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) on weekdays.

“I am very pleased that all partners came together after our meeting to find and implement concrete solutions for the benefit of users,” Guilbault said in a press release. “Everyone took their share of responsibility, which allows us to announce, a little over 24 hours later, an improved and more robust succession plan.”

“Our priority will always be to offer quality service to our users,” said Jean-Marc Arbaud, President and CEO of CDPQ Infra. “The teams are currently working to deploy the solutions on the network. As long as the REM service does not meet CDPQ Infra’s performance expectations, these shuttles will provide alternative options for our users’ travel.”

The cost of building the REM was estimated at $9.4 billion by the Auditor General in a report in 2024, or $2.4 billion more than what was planned in 2018.   

The antenna, which is to go from the Central Station to Deux-Montagnes, with another section towards the west of the island of Montreal, is to be inaugurated this fall. 

The segment that is to serve Trudeau airport is due to come into operation in 2027. 

-With files from The Canadian Press