I only take it two days a week.
This week, I took it Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday when I rode it, we were forced to change trains twice. Picture the scene; throngs of uncertain people slowly moving through stations as REM workers, some equipped with bullhorns, shouted instructions at us. The trains were absolutely packed. When I asked one of the REM employees what the issue was, he told me it was a broken track and added, “It’s a **** show”. I agreed and thanked him for his help. By the time I rode the REM home, service was smoother, but the train was still overcrowded.
On Wednesday morning when I rode the REM, the train just sat at stations for long periods of time. No explanation. Finally, as we were parked at one station, we heard an announcement that there was a slowdown due to a technical problem. Vague. The ride was extremely slow and seriously overcrowded. At each stop, when we finally got to a station, people would push their way into the already overcrowded train car. The stations themselves were packed with people when we pulled in - and just as packed with people when the train left, all of them hoping the next train might have room for them to board. As we entered the tunnel, I stood up, getting ready to push my way out at Edouard Montpetit station. At about the same time, there was an announcement that the train would not be stopping at Edouard Montpetit station. I sat back down. Got to work 30 minutes late and disgusted with the crappy REM.
It’s an embarrassment to 2026, a time when technology and basic planning usually manage to make life better for people.
I am generally not a fan of unregulated AI, but perhaps it should have been given more responsibility for REM design and planning.
I heard the REM was not working again yesterday.
All this for $200 a month.
CDPQ Infra should be held accountable.
I hope class action lawsuits are in the works.
It’s not like the line can be dismantled and improved. This is it. This is as good as it gets for Montreal commuters.
Overpriced. Overcrowded. Unreliable. Uncomfortable.
I miss the train, where you sat in a comfortable seat and could actually look out the windows instead of having your back to them. On the train, which the REM unilaterally cannibalized, you could read, work, or study, while getting to your destination on time. Now you sit, if you're lucky enough to get a seat during rush hour, like a sardine wedged into a can with a bunch of other sardines on hard plastic seats.
This is the big transportation solution we've been waiting for.
It's shameful.
Quite a few people have been taking a 4:55 a.m. bus from Deux Montagnes to get to work by 6 a.m. The bus has been providing service for five years. The REM and Allo Exo have just cancelled that bus and not replaced it with anything. Train service starts much later in the morning. Why can’t they leave that one bus in place for these early commuters?
It’s blatant disregard for the people who’ve been expecting competent public transit service.
I can hardly wait for next week.
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