REM resuming after early morning technical problem causes ‘slowdown’

REM riders wound up lining up in downtown Montreal for settle buses after an unexpected shut down on the light rail line.

Service on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is slowly resuming Tuesday morning after a technical problem halted travel on the light rail line.

“We had an aiguillage [switch] problem,” explains Francis Labbé, media relations director with the REM. “[It] is a technical part of the railway that is used to allow the train to ‘switch’ direction. So, we were not able to proceed in an automated way like we do normally; we had to get the trains out manually.”

The interruption ran from 5:30 a.m. to 6:55 a.m., followed by a “slowdown” that lasted several hours.

Shuttle buses were put in place to bring commuters to their destinations.

“The service actually counts fewer cars than people are used to,” explains Labbé. “That’s why we maintain the shuttles during the peak period.”

For more information on the shuttle service, click here.

The company adds that many of the cars are currently undergoing maintenance “due to adjustments required by Alstom’s winter systems.”

Labbé notes that an investigation is underway to determine the reason behind Tuesday’s technical problem.