REM users satisfied with services: McGill study

User satisfaction with the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has increased since it was launched in 2023, according to preliminary survey results from Transportation Research at McGill (TRAM).

TRAM has been conducting a long-term study on the REM, the light-rail network, and the public’s view towards transportation since 2019.

There were 1,700 REM users who participated in the survey.

According to the data, satisfaction rates increased to 79 per cent from 75 per cent in 2023.

Most REM users (56 per cent) believe that the rail is well integrated into the region’s network. Also, 46 per cent of REM trips were used to commute to school and work. 

“It’s encouraging to see users’ satisfaction increase as the service smoothed out during the first year of operation,” said Meredith Alousi-Jones, a graduate student who’s co-leading the study.

However, when the REM has broken down, 48 per cent of users took the bus shuttle, and 42 per cent were dissatisfied with the shuttles compared to 28 per cent who were fine with it.

A large majority of REM users have access to parking (61 per cent), and 55 per cent are satisfied with the number of spaces compared to 28 per cent who were dissatisfied.

“The survey of REM users is part of a broader study of public transit use in the Montreal region,” reads a press release. “So far this fall, more than 7,500 Montrealers have participated in the fifth wave of TRAM’s Montreal Mobility Survey.”

According to the survey, 69 per cent agree that the REM is good for the environment.

The South Shore branch of the REM, which has been operating since summer 2023, serves an average of 37,000 passengers per day during the work days.

CDPQ Infra recently announced that the stations in Deux-Montagnes and Anse-à-l’Orme are now scheduled for to open in fall 2025. 

“Now that we have a better idea of the timeline for the future REM branches, it is important to keep track of operations and perceptions of its users,” said Rodrigo Victoriano-Habit, a graduate research assistant who’s also co-leading the study.

Final findings from the fifth wave of the survey will be published in a report on the TRAM website in summer 2025.

This research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.