Work begins to upgrade elevators for use in the event of an evacuation
REM in service
Published on
It will soon be possible and safe to use the elevators in REM stations in case of an evacuation.
Our teams worked with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) to enable elevator evacuation on the REM—a first in Québec! This new evacuation option will allow people with reduced mobility to evacuate a station quickly and independently in an emergency.
Offering this new evacuation option will require upgrade work on all elevators in existing stations. The work will be carried out in phases, one elevator at a time, and will last 3 to 4 weeks per elevator. GPMM employees will be stationed at the elevators to assist users during the work.
Once the work is completed, there will be two ways for people with reduced mobility to evacuate a REM station:
- Go to the safe zone to be evacuated by emergency services.
- Use the elevators to evacuate the premises independently (new option coming in 2025).
Information on upcoming work
Image of an intercom inside a REM station
Work has already begun at Gare Centrale station. Temporary elevators are available there. For station assistance, use the intercoms; a member of the REM team will provide support.
For Île-des-Sœurs, Panama, Du Quartier and Brossard stations, check the status of the elevators before you leave. If work is in progress, other transit options will be available:
- Accessible RTL, STM or exo buses to take you to another station in the network.
- Paratransit, if you qualify.
Accessible taxis are also available for users to travel on the network.
Where can I check statuses?
The information will be updated on the Service Status page as work progresses on each elevator. Subscribe to SMS alerts for real-time elevator status notifications.
Once work has been completed on the entire network, we’ll let you know when this new evacuation option will come into effect.