The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail metro service has begun its final round of testing prior to the commissioning of the South Shore line in Montreal, Canada.
The South Shore antenna spans 17 kilometres between Gare Centrale and Brossard stations and will operate as a fully automated metro.
The final phase of testing before the system’s commissioning consists of simulating future service without passengers. This includes testing the ability of crews to carry out routine operations in different contexts.
For example, the testing will evaluate the effectiveness of ‘waking up’ the cars in the storage centre, as well as the automated departure and return of the cars to and from the REM tracks.
It will also evaluate fleet management practices, including cleaning and maintenance requirements; service schedule requirements; and overall rail system reliability.
In addition to normal operations, the teams will carry out ‘degraded mode’ simulations that incorporate a malfunction or breakdown. This could include the unexpected absence of a person in the control room or a door blocked in the station.
These tests will allow the teams to determine an exact opening date for the REM South Shore service and the inauguration of the Brossard to Gare Centrale stations.
