REM shutting down for next 6 weeks, Montreal-area commuters frustrated

Commuters using the REM in the Montreal region will have to find other modes of transportation starting on Saturday for the next month and a half.

All five REM stations between downtown Montreal and Brossard on the South Shore will undergo a complete shutdown. Over the next six weeks, REM trains will be out of service as testing across the entire network will be carried out as part of the next phase of the REM’s launch which will be the Deux-Montagnes and Anse-à-l’Orme branches.

Speaking to a number of people using the REM on Friday, they were not happy with the closure and the delays that it could create for their daily commute. 

“It’s sad because we’re paying for a good service. We have to take buses. It’s going to be longer,” said Florence Lefebvre, a Candiac resident.

“I’m not really sure next week what I’m going to have to do to go to work and all that stuff. So yeah, it’s a little bit inconvenient,” explained Nicolas Agudelo who lives in Brossard.

“We find it really unpleasant, not right,” said Nathalie Lemay, a Delson resident. “We invested a lot in this mode of transport. We had a lot of hope.”

“Very frustrating. Very frustrating. And I don’t like this situation,” said Parabola Foade, another Brossard resident.

Shuttle buses will be put in place to accommodate REM users. As well, Exo trains will increase their frequency for lines serving the Angrignon and Longueuil terminals. 

In an effort to reduce the strain on the network, ARTM is encouraging riders to consider teleworking or travelling outside of peak hours where possible.

“Well, it’s going to make my journey to work a little much longer. Taking the bus from home to here and take another bus again instead of having a bus going straight to downtown,” said Joelle Ng before boarding the REM at the Brossard station.

Philippe Lafon, who was on his way to work on the REM on Friday, says that he’s prepared to use the shuttle service.

“I think we have no choice, because we have to go to work, hoping the shuttles don’t break down,” explained Lafon.

“I guess it’s going to be a longer commute time to get to work,” added Agudelo.

Commuters were also quite vocal about the reliability of REM train service since it opened in July 2023.

“The only problem is that with today’s technology, we can’t make a train that works. Yesterday, it broke down again,” said Lafon.

“When it’s raining, when it’s snowing, there’s a lot of breakdowns so I think it’s pretty bad,” said Lefebvre.

“It’s often closed, it’s often broken down,” added Lemay.

Once the six-week full shutdown of the REM concludes, service is scheduled to resume on August 18. 

“Taking it away for so long, I think it will mess with people’s schedules very much,” said Agudelo.

“We’re all very frustrated with this project overall. And the fact that they’re closing it down to me, it shows that it’s just a really, really bad project,” said Ng.

There will be up-to-date information posted on the REM’s website.