Demo against transit issues in Mercier
A demonstration will be held Sunday over an issue that’s mostly dropped out of collective consciousness for the moment: building an elevated train in the east end, and also the proposed extension of Assomption Blvd right through the Boisé Steinberg.
Geneviève Guilbault is saying that some parts of the eastern REM will be elevated and some won’t be.
mare 14:48 on 2023-01-23 Permalink
Funny that people (and the media) will call it REM forever now, even though CDPQ has a trademark on it.
Not funny is that this will yet be another rail system that won’t be compatible with existing systems so it can’t be easily (or at all) connected to other lines in the future. And it’ll need it’s own maintenance facilities and supply of spare rolling stock and parts. It’s sad that the greater Montreal is such a patchwork of public transport without any long term plans.
DeWolf 15:53 on 2023-01-23 Permalink
@mare, that’s not unusual, nor it is a problem. Nearly all large metro systems have a variety of rolling stock that isn’t necessarily compatible from one line to the next. London has different trains for all but three of its Underground lines, for instance, not to mention the DLR (automated light metro) and the Overground. Paris has some lines with steel wheeled trains, others with rubber tired trains. Vancouver’s SkyTrain has two distinct types of rolling stock: one for the Expo and Millennium lines, one for the Canada Line.
It doesn’t really make sense for an entire rail network to use exactly the same rolling stock, station sizes, etc. Different lines have different needs.
Kate 18:02 on 2023-01-23 Permalink
But that’s because big cities necessarily are a patchwork, no? Upgrades are made unevenly, technology changes while politics shuffles its feet, incompatible systems are kludged together with duct tape and baling wire.