Brossard mayor wants permanent shuttle buses after repeat REM breakdowns

The REM in Montreal. (Scott Prouse)

Brossard Mayor Doreen Assaad wants buses replaced by the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail train back on the road permanently.

The REM has been plagued with issues all winter, with multiple shutdowns and slowdowns forcing commuters into shuttle buses.

Assaad said she’s received calls from residents complaining about REM interruption and saw the “stress and anxiety caused by repetitive breakdowns” on social media.

“I’m saying enough is enough. It’s unacceptable to hold users of public transportation hostage like this,” she told CJAD 800 host Aaron Rand on Friday.

She wants the 45 and 90 express bus lines, which ran between the South Shore and downtown Montreal before the REM’s non-compete clause axed them, restored.

Assaad also wants the non-compete clause removed and the agreement re-opened so “people have something viable and secure on which they can depend on.”

After February’s back-to-back snowstorms, the REM was at a complete standstill Tuesday. It continued having issues over the following week, due to problems with snow clearance, switch de-icing and winter brakes.

• LISTEN: Brossard mayor calls for permanent return of bus lines that were replaced by REM on CJAD 800

As of Thursday, extra shuttle buses were added on standby from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. “until the problem is fixed.”

Assaad said those shuttles should stay for good.

“[The REM] has not been fluid, it has not been easy,” she said.

“Once it becomes an interesting option, people will take the REM. But what’s happening is people are so upset they’re going back to the car and, to me, it’s a fail.”

On Wednesday, the Quebec government called on the Caisse de dépôt et placement (CDPQ) to put an end to REM breakdowns during storms.

A REM spokesperson previously told CTV News it was working with partners to modify or replace switches for reliable service.

There are also several planned service interruptions over the next few months as the REM works to expand its network in the fall.

The REM will not be running on weekends for the rest of February and there will be interruptions on weekday evenings in April.

A four-to-six-week closure is also planned “during the off-peak period in summer 2025” to allow for “intensified testing, final integration, and preparations for the fall launch,” said the REM.