Montreal's REM light-rail line will publish alerts by text message within 'a few weeks'
Within a few weeks, users of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) could receive a text alert to notify them of a service interruption.
"People need to be able to receive an SMS if they have a problem," said CDPQ Infra president and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud, during a news conference on Friday aimed at discussing the preparation of the REM team for winter conditions. "Even though it happens very rarely, it's reassuring to know that if there is a problem, I (the user) will know about it."
For the moment, the REM uses its website and the X platform to communicate with its users. The company has been criticized for poor communication during periods of service interruption.
AtkinsRéalis' senior vice-president for major projects and engineering services, Marc Boucher, acknowledged that there had been problems with the quality of the message and the speed with which it was delivered.
He stressed that checkpoint teams had to assess the situation and make decisions before communicating with users. Over time, teams will know more quickly what to do, depending on the problem.
"The experience of these people will improve over time," he said.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 8, 2023.
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