Riding the REM - Part II?

I am a convert.

On the weekend of November 15th to the 16th, I took the extended free ride on the REM (Réseau express métropolitain) in Quebec, but this was not the original plan. I had heard rumours that the original transit strike with the STM (Société de transport de Montréal) was winding down (this latter system runs exclusively on the island of Montréal). This was a relief, since the entire local system was going to be shut down for those two days. But, with a little elbow grease and some promises made to be broken, everything began to function again (as well as it could in a city like this). I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

It was not my first time riding the REM. I had taken a trip from Gare Centrale in Montreal to the suburban delights of Brossard (look it up, if you dare) when it first opened up the line on July 31, 2023…and I have not been back. I had no real reason to ride it except to say that I had, and to receive a little green inauguration passport that I somehow managed to keep mostly unstamped (you could receive the ink at one of the five stations on that section of the line: Gare Centrale; Ile-des-Soeurs; Panama (surprising name); Du Quartier and Brossard. This was the A1 line. Now, with the A4 line in place, commuters can travel from the same Gare Centrale all the way to the delights of Deux-Montagnes (fourteen more stops). The plan is to eventually extend it out to other small towns...and the airport (this is probably the only reason why I want a government project like this to actually work). And this time I may have to take a few more trips.

Seriously, this is very promising for me and my commute. I live one stop away from Édouard-Montpetit station, which is surprisingly included in the new line, and that now means I can get downtown from there in about three to five minutes. Apart from that delicious fact, it is also the deepest station in all of Canada (second in North America) at 72 metres below street level (236 feet for you imperial subjects). Not that it matters, but making history is always interesting to a mind like mine. I like to absorb the facts as they come. And there was a lot for a sponge like me on this trip

At first, I had to wonder: where was the alternate line? I got to Éd. Mon. (I like that contraction), and wondered where was the train heading toward the downtown core. One kind lady responded to me by saying it was “une bonne question; une vraiment bonne question!” (translate if you will) and I had to guess as to why we were all forced to head toward Deux-Montagnes. A small glitch, but nothing serious.

The ride itself is wonderful, and I noted that one little boy and his mother avoided the mistake I made in 2023 and jumped off the train at each stop to receive their stamps, usually making it back onboard before the double set of doors shut. I decided to sit back and enjoy this part of the ride. My feeling is that you should look to the people around you if you really want to judge a new form of public transportation.

And how did my fellow Montrealais feel about this trip?

It was all too clear how happy they were. The novelty of taking a new line was clearly part of the deal, but I think that we all realized how lucky we were to be a part of this history. We all had our metro passes, knowing that they would be good for both the REM and the STM, but it was nice to be there for the inauguration. There was one little incident with a girl dropping a water bottle on the floor (I offered her mother a set of napkins that I would have wasted on my lunch; no thanks offered), but it was nothing serious (I noted how it cleaned up some of streaking and dirt around us). The spirits were up and the mood was pleasant.

I just wish we had a much more pleasant view along the way.

The grey and overcast sky matched the grey and dull environment around us (one passenger said to his girlfriend that the only reason to go to Deux-Montagnes was to get back on the train to Montréal). I always marvel at how human beings can take nature at its best and dull it down for our own ends. There was a river when we passed off the island, but not much else to stimulate the eye outside the large ceiling-to-seat windows. The monitors held the usual information about wi-fi, upcoming stops, the availability of seats - a nice touch - and which side of the car would open up for the exit (“Ouverture des portes: coté gauche”), but there was not much else to see. And maybe they should have a few more seats instead of just the hard plastic ones lining the walls (a few were colour-coded for the passengers who were pregnant, elderly or in need of a physical break). Still, these are small issues.

And I did take it one more time recently just to confirm that I knew my way around it...and this time I assisted a fellow Montréalais who could not figure out her trip (my French is getting better every day). Brossard, please welcome her with open mechanical double doors.

So, if you get the chance, come on board and enjoy the smooth ride.

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