The Metropolitan Express Network (REM) had to make corrections this week in connection with air conditioning deemed deficient by users in certain trains, at a time when a surge of heat was hitting almost everywhere in the metropolis.
This issue was raised on Wednesday, when the thermometer reached 30 degrees Celsius in Montreal, a figure rising to 37 if we take into account the humidex factor. Some users quickly reported to CDPQ Infra that the trains were not sufficiently air-conditioned.
“I’m surprised how hot and humid it is in the carriages. Please be proactive, don’t wait for the first heatwaves to react,” said a user on the social network other on Facebook.
It seems that not every train experienced this problem, however, with other users reporting a rather comfortable experience despite the temperature.
Called to react, CDPQ Infra, the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt which manages the REM, affirms that “some users informed us of high temperatures in certain cars” during the period of high heat.
“The situation was taken care of by our operator and corrected. The ventilation in the cars is in operation. If users ever notice other issues, they can contact our customer service who will quickly deploy corrective actions,” continued the deputy director of media relations at CDPQ Infra, Francis Labbé, in an email.
Mr. Labbé affirms that during the summer season, REM trains will be “programmed to maintain a difference of approximately 5 degrees below the outside temperature”. “In heatwave weather, this gap would be maintained,” he adds.
Also suitable for the metro
In the past, the issue of heat had been raised in the Montreal metro, the latter being neither heated in winter thanks to the heat generated by the brakes of the trains, nor air-conditioned in summer since “the heat released would cause the temperature in the station,” says the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
However, at all times “mechanical ventilation stations regulate the ambient temperature by exchanging air between the network and the outside in order to give you more comfort”, affirms the operator.
These devices allow on average “to evacuate nearly 240,000 cubic feet of air per minute,” according to the STM. This specifies that “huge acoustic silencers reduce the noise of these fans in order to ensure the peace and quiet of residents located near a ventilation station”.
However, the associated costs are significant, especially in terms of maintenance. Completed last year, the renovation of the Alexandre-de Sève mechanical ventilation station cost nearly 21 million alone. Some 7,500 cubic meters of rock had to be excavated, the equivalent of a little less than five small Olympic swimming pools.