REM light rail undergoes winter testing ahead of spring launch

Just months before the REM makes its official debut, the Greater Montreal light rail system is undergoing some winter weather testing.

The idea is to monitor how the trains perform under certain systems, a crucial step in preparing the network for harsh weather.

"The goal is to bring the system to its limits, to put the system in different contexts, different situations, and see how it reacts," said Jean-Vincent Lacroix, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, the contractor for the REM project.

In one case, during a spell of freezing rain, one of the trains being tested without winter protocols in place managed to cross the Champlain bridge -- but stalled shortly after due to ice build-up on the cables.

The test highlights the importance of effective de-icing measures.

Earlier this week in Ottawa, two trains became stuck during a freezing rain shower, and it took six days for service to resume.

It's another reason delaying the REM's launch a few months in favour of testing was a good idea, according to developers.

"This is a lesson we learned from Ottawa and other systems around the world," said Lacroix. "Sometimes taking a little bit more time [...] is a good decision."

Trajectoire Québec, an organization promoting public transit mobility, says some breakdowns are inevitable in the winter months, but hopes there's adequate alternatives for users when it does.

"What we need is to make sure we have a plan to able to provide good public transit to users when there is an outage," said Trajectoire Québec director Sarah V. Doyon.

The South Shore portion of the REM is expected to start rolling this spring.