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MBCR could be on the train to Palookaville
By adamg on Sat, 01/04/2014 - 12:05pm
The Globe reports MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott will urge her board this week to hire a French company, Keolis, to run commuter rail, rather than re-upping with MBCR, the company that now runs the trains.
Charlene McBride asks:
I wonder if a French company running the commuter rail could bring us the bar car?
Free tagging:
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Comments
Sacre Bleau
Conductor Clouseau.
Merci beaucoup !
I'm in France a few times a year for work and rely on trains for both business and leisure trips. Their rail services put the T to shame. It's always depressing and humbling to come back to my daily T commute.
Would we could
The French know how to run a railroad, but I'd love to see a Swiss company come in and kick ass.
>3 minutes late is classified as "late". There were multiple apologies when our train to Zurich showed up 5 minutes later than scheduled (it left on time, however).
Skeptical
From the article:
[Keolis'] parent company has received mixed reviews in France, with rising ridership accompanied by increasing complaints about delays and crowded trains.
I hope the winning bidder does a better job, but this is a tough part of the country to do mass transportation, whoever's name is over the door.
MBTA COMMUTER RAIL
Anonnie, easy fix, transfer to France, might cure your depression, and they are such friendly folks to Americans.
Attention
Ze naxed stope ees Nahr'oud
The devil you don't know
The devil you don't know better than the one you do? I'm not exactly inspired by what I'm reading...
Regardless of who gets it, I hope there are many more provisions for remedies to delays and bad service!
Give Bev credit
She didn't fall for letters from the ministers claiming the French company was run by racist nazis, she got tired of MBCR mismanagement and high costs
Good news, but...
...as bad as MBCR is now, can you imagine what they'd be like as lame ducks, with no incentive to perform?
Massachusetts?
So we hired a Canadian Co to screw-up Ma Health Connector and we'll hire French co for this? No Mass companies can do these things and keep jobs here?
What jobs?
Everything is local, except who the mid-level management reports to. And even then, some of the upper-level guys might be moving here/at the very least stopping by often. They're not sending in conductors from France! In fact, most existing conductors will simply be rehired by the new company.
It was you, Charlie on the MTA!
It was you!
Great head lie, Adam.
typo...
You left out a consonant on that last line. Let me help you: "Great head lice, Adam."
You're welcome. (Adam we'll get you some permethrin...)
Damn auto correct!
Great headline.
If Adam were part of the lame-stream media head lie might have worked, though.
MBCR
Without significant capital investment in Rolling stock and track upgrades by the MBTA commuter rail service is unlikely to improve regardless of operator. Given the lack of capital at the T this is unlikely
capital investment
I used to make large capital investments in Rolling Rock while in college....let's just say things were moving pretty fast the following morning.
New locos coming
With the new locomotives coming, Keolis' performance record will appear inflated compared to MBCR. (Assuming Keolis gets the bid)
Question
You can put Lloyd's of London or make Berkshire Hathaway run the commuter rail but if the same day to day staff are still running the show, I don't think it's going to be any better.
So the question looms, does anyone know the current staff will be replaced or not? I seem to remember this NOT happening when the MCBR took over.
Why doesn't the T run the
Why doesn't the T run the Commuter Rail directly?
Everything I hear about the contracted operation points to the company doing sloppy work and overcharging for it, and the T being unable or unwilling to do anything about it.