Officials with the REM light-rail line are warning people in the Montreal area to stay off the tracks.
Réseau express métropolitain (REM) officials will soon be running tests on the North Shore and West Island rail lines, which are scheduled to open next year.
They say some people have gotten into the habit of using the tracks as shortcuts.
“It’s serious, the dangers are real,” said REM spokesperson Francis Labbe.
By mid-June, REM test runs will begin between St-Eustache and Laval, and in the summer the tests will expand all the way to the Du Ruisseau Station and further west to L’Anse-a-L’Orme.
“Trains will be more frequent,” said Labbe. “On that railway, there haven’t been any trains passing by since 2021.”
Labbe said that is why people need to be reminded that the tracks aren’t a shortcut. Over the past year, the REM has recorded nearly 60 cases of people jumping fences to cross the tracks or paint graffiti.
The REM has now launched an awareness campaign.
“To save 5 minutes, would you spend 5 months in a coma,” reads one ad. “It’s a question of life and death. Stay away from the REM tracks.”
“We will also produce some TikTok content with an influencer to reach younger customers, younger population,” said Labbe.
The trains run on electricity through overhead powerlines. For its part, Hydro Quebec is warning people to stay at least three metres away from a medium voltage line.
Labbe said people who trespass, could be hit by a train or even electrocuted.
“If you’re standing on the railway you will just about be under three metres from the wires,” said Labbe. “These persons will automatically put their lives at risk.”