A solution may be on the horizon for the noise coming from Montreal’s light-rail network that people have been complaining about for weeks.
CDPQ Infra, the project’s contractor, said in a statement Thursday it will install noise barriers and sound absorbers along the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) tracks to improve the situation.
“At least they recognize that they have a problem,” Griffintown resident Marc Vidricaire said. “They have a serious problem, they said so. But the problem is, what can they do? It’s already built.”
Before officially launching, the Brossard to downtown REM lines have been doing dry runs for the past few weeks. It runs about 20 hours per day, with each run taking place every few minutes.
Residents in the Griffintown and Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhoods have been complaining about the train’s rumbling sounds, saying it’s affecting their quality of life
“Anything that can reduce it and just make it more livable I think that would be an amazing initiative because it’s disturbing as it is,” said Catherine Meilleur, who works in Pointe-Saint-Charles.
A community group in Pointe-Saint-Charles says it has received hundreds of complaints from residents over the past few weeks. It is cautiously optimistic about the announcement of new measures.
“We’re very happy to hear that,” said Simon Paquette, spokesperson for the Corporation de développement de Pointe-Saint-Charles Action-Gardien.
“We’re excited that they recognized the problem and it’s not just in our heads but we’ll see what they’re really going to do.”
Paquette says there are still questions about the measures, including what exactly will be done in which area and what the ultimate impact will be.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra says it is taking the situation seriously and is looking to make improvements to the network.
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