New Montreal light-rail train line saw two service interruptions on day of launch

The organization responsible for Montreal's new light-rail train line says it's looking into the situation after track switch problems led to two service disruptions within 24 hours of the network's official launch on Monday.

It emerged Tuesday that a second service interruption occurred at around 11 p.m. Monday and lasted about an hour, during which time would-be riders were directed to shuttle buses.

That incident followed a 75-minute service interruption on the line known as the REM during the morning rush hour, including a 45-minute total shutdown.

Emmanuelle Rouillard-Moreau, spokesperson for REM owner CDPQ Infra, said it is investigating what caused the switching system to fail. "Our teams are working continuously and various measures are being considered to address the situation," she said in a statement.

She said the REM, or Réseau express métropolitain, will also make adjustments to its communications after its social media accounts were silent about the nighttime disruption, with messages appearing only in stations and inside trains.

Rouillard-Moreau explained the new driverless, electric train line is still in its "breaking in" period. "As with any metro network," she said, "this period of continuous adjustment is a necessary step, and we thank users for their understanding."

Meanwhile, the REM counted 25,000 passengers on Monday, far fewer than the approximately 60,000 riders a day who took to the network over the weekend when entry was free.

Rouillard-Moreau said Monday's ridership nevertheless demonstrates interest in the new transit service, which is expecting around 30,000 daily passengers during the busier autumn season.

The REM currently includes five stations along a 16.6-kilometre route between downtown Montreal and the suburb of Brossard across the Saint Lawrence River to the southeast.

It's the first branch of what will eventually become a 26-station, 67-kilometre network spanning much of the Montreal metro area. Two other branches, to the city's western and northern suburbs, are scheduled to open at the end of 2024. An airport link won't open until 2027.

REM trains run every three minutes and 45 seconds during rush hour, transporting passengers between Montreal and Brossard in as little as 18 minutes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023.