MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

Charlie_mta said:
The "best value" bidder rating system should be used for this instead of just simple low bidder. Best value takes into consideration specific technical expertise for the job.
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Lowest "qualified" bidder is supposed to do that as well. But the qualifications have to be strict enough, and actually evaluated in the bidding process.
 
Traction motor fire on HSP-46 locomotive 2025 at Ruggles:

Fire activity near Ruggles disrupts multiple Commuter Rail lines

BOSTON — Fire department activity near Ruggles Station disrupted service on several MBTA Commuter Rail lines Wednesday afternoon, causing delays and schedule changes.

Providence Line Train 840 was first delayed before stopping at Ruggles, where the MBTA later terminated the train. Passengers traveling inbound were told to use the Orange Line to continue into downtown Boston.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-commuter-rail-line-delayed-by-fire-department-activity/73655156
 
OldColony said:
Fire activity near Ruggles disrupts multiple Commuter Rail lines
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This happened at around the same time, really snarling the Providence line commute:
Pedestrian killed by train in Sharon
A person was fatally hit by an Amtrak train Wednesday afternoon in Sharon, Massachusetts.
Police in Sharon said they responded to a 911 call at the MBTA Commuter Rail station on Upland Road shortly after 3 p.m.
The person who was hit was pronounced dead, police said.
A spokesperson with Keolis, which manages the MBTA Commuter Rail, said "police activity involving an Amtrak train in Sharon" had led to delays on the Providence/Stoughton Line.
The incident is under investigation, police said.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Amtrak, but has not yet heard back.
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Extremely poor communication by the MBTA - many employees confused this delay and the aforementioned earlier fire, and when PVD trains resumed conductors were assuring passengers that they were making all normal stops (but they were not, stopping at Canton and shuttling to Mansfield). I assume they were trying to be discreet but they ended up confusing and misleading passengers for a couple hours, including many new students in their second week of commuting.
 
From Masslive.com via msn.com today (September 19th). Fair use quotes:

Fare gates at South Station boost MBTA commuter rail ticket activations by 33%

...The gates appear to be paying dividends. The MBTA and commuter rail operator Keolis reported a roughly 33% increase in passengers activating their tickets when traveling to and from South Station this year compared to last year. On-board ticket sales have also jumped 15%...

...In 2019, the MBTA estimated it lost $10 million to $20 million in annual revenue from uncollected commuter rail fares, or 4% to 8% of potential revenue. The industry standard is 3%, even in “the most airtight gated systems,” the agency said...

...Like some other passengers, O’Brien’s chief complaint was the inconvenience of scanning a ticket each time he entered or exited the platform. At morning rush hour, hundreds of passengers disembark trains at once. In the afternoon, crowds congregate in South Station waiting for an announcement of their train’s platform. When it pops up on a screen, riders bottleneck at the gates as they head for the train.

“In practice right now, in rush hour it’s a nightmare,” O’Brien said...

Full article here.
 
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