New summertime bus line to Montreal airport

Summer travel is about to get a bit easier for Greater Montreal residents starting next week with the launch of a direct bus line connecting the Montreal-Trudeau airport to the REM network.

Starting June 17, the new 815 bus line will run between the Montreal airport and the Des Sources REM station, estimated to take 15 to 20 minutes each way. The service will operate through the busy summer travel season and until Oct. 19. 

The service adds another option for travellers providing access to downtown Montreal, North and South shores. The airport is currently served by the 747 line between downtown Montreal and the airport, and by other STM bus lines.

“Well, I think it’s a pretty good interim step while you wait for the REM to be connected directly to the airport,” said Larry Waters, a Pointe-Claire resident. “I think it gets people used to using the REM from downtown to get to the airport. And it certainly bypasses the traffic that can happen on the 20.”

Aéroports de Montreal (ADM), the airport authority for Montreal-Trudeau airport, is financing this new bus line. However, ADM didn’t disclose the cost of the service.

“With the 815 bus, ADM is seizing the opportunity presented by the recent opening of the REM’s Anse-à-l’Orme branch,” said Jerome Conraud, ADM’s vice-president of strategy, planning and sustainability, in a press release.

“We know accessing the airport can be challenging during rush hour, especially with all the construction that is ongoing. By connecting to the REM, we now have access to the whole population pool of the South Shore, the North Shore, Laval, and the West Island, obviously. So we really hope that people will take this.”

For the project, ADM said it partnered with the REM, STM and other transit agencies in the region.

“I think it’s a very good idea because many people from the West Island travel frequently at different times,” said Suzanne Meilleur, a Pointe-Claire resident.

Francis Latour, a Montrealer, added: “I’m happy to hear it because I’m actually looking forward to when they’re going to open the REM straight, the new line directly to the airport.”

The car-sharing company Communauto has also partnered with the REM to offer 26 new cars in the coming days at nine REM stations, the majority located in the West Island.

“During rush hour, we have 3,000 vehicles an hour that want to have access directly to the terminal building, whereas the capacity of the curb is about 2,000 vehicles an hour, which is why we decided to relocate TNC services, that is Uber and Lyft. That’s about 500 vehicles an hour during peak hour,” said Conraud.

“It’s a pilot project. If the ridership is there, if people like it and use it, then yes, we’re going to talk to our partners, ARTM, the STM, and the REM, to continue this offer next season.”

ADM says the new 815 bus line could be renewed for next summer before the new REM line opens at the Montreal-Trudeau airport in December 2027.