Group gets trapped after elevator in new light rail station breaks down

MONTREAL – Younes Rebbouhi said he initially thought it was funny when he realized he was on an elevator that had stopped moving, late Monday afternoon.

Rebbouhi says he was among about 20 people descending underground to a brand new light rail platform at Canada’s deepest public transit station, some 72 metres below the street.

“It was the first day, and the elevator wasn’t working,” he said, with a chuckle.

“I’d say after 30 minutes, it wasn’t so funny anymore.”

The Édouard-Montpetit station is among 14 new light rail stations across the network that had officially opened to paying commuters for the first time that day.

Rebbouhi said the elevator started making unexpected noises before coming to a halt about a metre away from the train platform.

The group remained stuck for more than an hour before firefighters managed to pull the doors open and they were able to jump down, he said.

“It took a long time to open the door, they really had to force it, it took them a while,” said Rebbouhi, a student at Université de Montréal, which sits just next door to the station. 

It was hot and uncomfortable inside, he said. A message from the intercom saying, “Please exit the elevator” also rang out non-stop. 

“It was really loud, and it was really aggressive,” Rebbouhi said.

The operator of the light rail network, known as the Réseau express Métropolitain, confirmed the incident in a social-media post on Monday evening, writing that officials stayed in contact with the passengers throughout via their control centre before they were rescued. 

The network operator did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. 

The Montreal fire department also confirmed that a team was sent out and that no one was injured.

The light rail operator did not report any major incidents during the weekend when it had opened up the trains to passengers for free.

But the service experienced disruptions during its second day of regular service along the new 30-kilometre branch after a Tuesday morning road accident prompted a nearly two-hour shut down affecting four stations.

In a social-media message, the Réseau express métropolitain said a truck struck a viaduct near its Bois-Franc station in Montreal, triggering the disruption. 

The same accident also briefly shut down the entire 19-station network for several minutes just after 7 a.m., according to the notice the REM shared online.

Transit officials deployed shuttle buses to transport the affected commuters.

The REM has faced criticism from some passengers about its reliability, especially during last winter, when its trains suffered multiple disruptions.

With the new extension, the network of driverless, electric trains now spans roughly 50 kilometres with 19 stations.

Two other branches of the network are expected to open soon: The operator says it expects to open the Anse-à-l’Orme branch to the West Island by spring 2026, while the branch connecting the system to Montréal Trudeau International Airport should be online at some point in 2027. Once complete, the network will have 26 stations across 67 km.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2025.