A Leisurely Commute

I had a book signing at the Indigo store downtown on Sunday. I thought taking the REM would be convenient, plus, on the way back, I could meet Susan after she finished her workday at the gym and we could ride it back together. 

Oddly, the REM worked like a charm on the way into the city.  

 

When the book signing was done, Susan let me know, no surprise, the REM to Deux Montagnes was completely shut down. They called it a “service slowdown” caused by a rolling stock problem, but there were no trains bound for A4. The proper word would have been shutdown.  

As I’ve said here before, the REM is a crapshoot. You’re as likely to have a problem as you are likely not to have one, and that’s as true for weekdays, weeknights and weekends. 

The REM is a disgrace to modern public transit systems on planets everywhere. 

 

And CDPQ is charging commuters another $25 a month for the inconvenience. 

 

Idiots. Robbers. 

 

The expected resumption time was 2 p.m. but when we arrived at the McGill REM station, we were told the expected resumption time had been moved back to 2:30 p.m. At Central Station at 2:30 p.m., we decided to chance getting on a train with “McGill” appearing as its destination on the lead car. It turns out it was going to A3 (Anse a l’Orme). We got off at Bois Franc and while waiting there to transfer, I spotted an ad on the REM screen suggesting people take the REM to attend festivals in downtown Montreal.  

 

I’m still laughing!  

 

REM Goes from Bad to Worse

During one breakdown, passengers were forced to walk through the Mount Royal tunnel. During another major breakdown, under-informed passengers along the entire line were stranded outright. Another incident had passengers going the wrong way on the REM, ending up in the train wash for half an hour. 

The service is grossly unreliable.

 

How is this ok? Constant breakdowns, shutdowns and slowdowns persist on the REM. 

 

Every day is a crapshoot.

Now they just canceled early morning weekend trains for the entire summer. Is bus service being put in place to help the people who work downtown early weekend mornings? No. 

 

The CDPQ’s detestable solution to all these disruptions? Raise monthly passes by $25. Service is a disgrace. How is this acceptable to government? 

 

Fix it, or give people their hard-earned money back. 

 

Commuters are paying money for service they’re not getting, which entitles them to compensation!

 

Shortly after the REM began operating on the South Shore, the provincial transport minister scolded REM partners for their shoddy service; where is government now?

 

The previous Deux Montagnes commuter train was unilaterally cannibalized, leaving commuters along that line as CDPQ and REM hostages, with no choice and no say.

 

Even the train intervals are longer than initially advertised.

 

I’ve repeatedly requested the REM to start weekday train service from Deux Montagnes at 5 a.m. to replace the bus that used to leave at that time. All those early morning commuters were abandoned and still struggle to find convenient solutions for their travel. The REM refuses.

 

Fear not, CDPQ will keep gouging passengers for more money, even though reliable train service in 2026 is, clearly, too much to ask.

 

I thought it would get better. 

I was dead wrong. 

Unbelievably, REM service has gone from bad to worse.