REM affected by falling ice on bridge
The REM had problems Saturday because of ice falling from the Samuel‑de‑Champlain bridge.
Le Devoir talks to several frustrated users who are giving up on the REM and resuming use of their cars to get into town.
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Kate
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Ian 11:37 on 2024-01-28 Permalink
I remember when people were questioning whether the REM was the best design choice given our winters and the armchair engineers pooh-poohed those concerns.
Good thing our climate is such that we rarely get ice and snow I guess?
DisgruntledGoat 17:53 on 2024-01-28 Permalink
I’d be interested to know some statistics on total uptime % for the REM and how it compares with other LRT systems across a variety of climates.
carswell 18:57 on 2024-01-28 Permalink
How could this issue not have been foreseen?
Assuming CBC traffic reports were correct, both elevators at the Du Quartier station were out of service for days — days! — running. And, per Radio Canada, this fall there was at least one non-functional elevator in the system on 43 days.
What happens when both lifts — or even just one of them — at the Édouard-Montpetit station go on the fritz? Do they open the emergency staircases and force people to walk up/down 72 metres (the equivalent of 20 storeys per news reports)? Even the elderly, infirm, parents with buggies and small children, wheelchair users?! “That three-minute ride between EMP and McGill stations? Well, it’s more like 30 via the metro cause the lifts aren’t working. So sorry but enjoy the ride!”
Tim S. 19:42 on 2024-01-28 Permalink
@Disgruntled Goat: except the relevant comparison is with the old bus system.
Ian 20:39 on 2024-01-29 Permalink
Sure, but even the bus can still run if there’s 10 cm of snow. I have walked home from downtown in a snowstorm many times because the bus wasn’t coming – you can’t do that if you are stuck on a monorail platform in the midle of nowhere.
@carswell at least it’s not escalators, those things seem to be perpetually breaking down.