Virginia Railway Express is looking for a few riders to be “secret shoppers,” and help VRE’s contractor evaluate the onboard passenger experience.
Those who participate will get a free one-month pass.
It is only open to VRE monthly ticket holders who ride the entire way in the morning and evening from either Broad Run or Spotsylvania to D.C.’s Union Station.
Participants will be asked to complete a brief, online or mobile survey, twice daily, after both their morning and evening trips.
In exchange for participation, VRE contractor Keolis will pay for their monthly passes. Keolis did not say how many participants would be needed for the secret shopper offer.
The survey consists of about 30 service-related check box questions.
Riders interested can send Keolis an email at survey@keolisna.com for a response.
VRE is the 12th-largest commuter rail service in the U.S. Its 32 daily trains provide 20,000 passenger trips a day, or roughly 4.5 million rides annually. It connects to all six Metrorail lines.
The rail operator has said its on-time performance has dropped dramatically this summer, citing weather, mechanical issues and an increase in freight trains with which it shares tracks.
