REM expansion: Truck strikes overpass, group gets trapped in elevator

A 53-foot truck struck the top of a overpass near Montreal’s Bois-Franc station of the REM Tuesday morning around 7 a.m., prompting a partial shutdown of the Réseau express métropolitain.

At around 7:20 a.m., service resumed between Brossard and Côte-de-Liesse stations in both directions, and between Deux-Montagnes and Bois-Franc stations in both directions. Service resumed on the section between Bois-Franc and Côte-de-Liesse stations at 8:56 a.m.

The truck, which exceeded the overpasses’ height clearance on Laurentien Blvd., caused minor structural damage. It was fully removed from the area just before 11 a.m.

REM officials sent an engineer to inspect the overpass. No injuries were reported.

“I think it’s unfortunate, but sometimes things are unpredictable,” said Vanessa Chouha, a law student at the Université de Montréal. “I think it’s better to prioritize the security of the people and closing it down rather than take a chance, like a leap of faith and keep on going with the REM.”

Glenda Conrad, an Outremont resident, said, “Honestly, I heard about it when I was on my way here. I think they managed to fix it real quick because I didn’t feel the impacts of that.” 

While, Cindy Entis, a Saint Laurent resident, said, “I actually felt really bad for the REM. Like, this is totally not their fault and I had a great experience yesterday, so I actually felt kind of bad, but we’re happy that it’s running again.”

A shuttle bus had been deployed to run between Côte-de-Liesse and Bois-Franc to support affected commuters.

“At first I was a little bit surprised and a little bit disappointed. I know it’s not the error of the REM system, but it’s unfortunate,” said Viet, a Bois-Franc resident.

Henri-Bourassa Blvd. remained open to vehicle traffic, and authorities expected the impacted area to fully reopen once inspections confirm the structure is safe.

While the new REM line has just begun, at least one user is not happy with the bus service from the Bois Franc REM station to the Sacre-Cœur hospital about two kilometres away.

“No matter which direction I come, I can’t get to the hospital unless I walk for half an hour in whatever conditions are. And I think it’s so silly because the buses are here. They have a stop, all they have to is let people out,” said Tetyana Vyetrogon, a Laval resident.

Elevator gets stuck at REM station

Officials say an elevator got stuck Monday night around 6 p.m. at the Édouard-Montpetit station for about an hour with 20 or so commuters inside.

“It’s definitely a bit, makes it a bit more anxious taking the REM, since now they’re not one with two problems, especially in the elevator, which is like for claustrophobic people or people who are scared you’re like stuck in an elevator with strangers, but I really hope it’s not going to happen again,” said Chouha.

Jean Couture, a West Islander–Beaconsfield resident, added, “I think they just have to work out the little bugs that are going to happen when you have a new system such as this. It’s unfortunate for the people who had to put up with it .”

“About 20 passengers were temporarily trapped in one of the elevators at the Edouard-Montpetit station. Thanks to the intervention of the teams and coordination with firefighters (SIM), all passengers were safely evacuated,” wrote Carole Du Sault, media relations for Pulsar. “The passengers remained in constant communication with the control center throughout the incident. The technician, in collaboration with the SIM, carried out a secure door opening, allowing the gradual evacuation of the users. The procedures planned for this type of situation were followed, ensuring passenger safety at every step. A full analysis will be conducted to understand the causes and implement the necessary corrective measures.”

There are accessible emergency stairs at this station, as some users wrote online that there weren’t – but this would not have helped the trapped commuters in this specific incident.

No injuries were reported.