Montreal's new REM hit with delays, passengers forced to get off
CBC
The Réseau express métropolitain, Montreal's newest mass-transit system, has had to halt service during its first rush-hour commute on Monday, forcing passengers to get off the trains and triggering the service's emergency backup plan.
The southern branch of the REM, which links downtown Montreal to Brossard on the South Shore was inaugurated on Friday.
Just before 8 a.m., the driverless trains stopped running, and according to a message relayed to commuters, the delay was due to a "technical problem."
At the time, riders were told the delay would last approximately 20 minutes.
Service began gradually resuming after 15 minutes, but it appears the kinks have not yet been ironed out and passengers have exited the train.
According to a spokesperson with CDPQ Infra, the REM's developer and a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, shuttle buses are being deployed to take riders from the Panama station on the South Shore and the Gare Centrale station downtown.
The spokesperson says the service between Brossard, the branch's southern teminus, and Panama is not affected.
Tens of thousands of Montrealers tested out the new trains during the weekend, as the rides were free.
More to come.
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