REM power failure forces passengers to walk on rails to next station after midnight

People use the REM light rail train from Deux-Montagnes station, in Deux-Montagnes, Que., Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

REM service interruptions late Saturday night and early Sunday morning resulted in many passengers being stranded on trains for almost an hour after midnight before walking along tracks to the next station.

The REM posted a series of “service interruptions” due to power supply problems, starting just before 10 p.m.

“Service interruption between Gare Centrale and Brossard stations, in all directions,” the REM wrote on its social media.

Follow-up messages noted interruptions between Panama and Brossard stations, and a message at 12:12 a.m. said that the cause was the electrical power supply.

Passengers on the train between McGill and Édouard Montpetit stations were forced to wait around 40 minutes before disembarking and walking in the tunnel to the next station.

Pulsar Operations and Maintenance runs the REM and said the train between McGill and Édouard-Montpetit stations was stopped, and staff assisted passengers to safely leave the train and walk through the tunnel.

“This is the standard procedure when a train comes to a halt between two stations and cannot be moved quickly. All passengers left the railway line via Édouard-Montpetit station,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that the plan was not perfect as the passengers did not have an alternate travel option after getting to the station due to the hour.

“Although the contingency plan was swiftly activated with our partners during the disruption, and passengers were assisted by Pulsar staff during the train evacuation, the operation concluded after the metro had closed for stations where the metro is the alternative transport provided for in the plan,” Pulsar said.

The procedure will be reviewed, and those passengers who were inconvenienced can contact Pulsar’s customer service.

More delays

It was not the first disruption on Saturday for REM users.

At 7:30 a.m., a power supply failure resulted in service interruption between the McGill and Brossard stations. Service was resumed shortly after 9 a.m.