In "Mass. rail cheaper, but less reliable," Globe reporters compared the reliability and cost of the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail service against Chicago's Metra, New York's Metro-North, New Jersey Transit's commuter rail, and the Long Island Rail Road. Commuter rail service in Massachusetts trails the service of these other major transit systems.
While other states experience an on-time performance rate of 94% or higher, commuter rail riders in Massachusetts are more likely to only get an 84.5% on-time performance rate.
The MBTA is expected to vote today on the long-term contract status to the MBCR, the private
I love this quote. No doubt, the rider experiences the Worcester-Framingham line, albeit from one of the closer stops. I've experienced this many times in my attempt to commute on the commuter rail:"According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, the MBTA staff is prepared to recommend a three-year extension, two years less than the company is seeking but more than the minimum necessary to make the transition to a new operator.
Even if dissatisfied with the service, the MBTA board will have to extend the contract at least another two years, because it would take that long to solicit and evaluate competitive bids on a new pact and then turn over the complex operation to a new operator, according to MBTA general manager Daniel A. Grabauskas."
"They're going to give these guys an extended contract? It's unbelievable," said Ned Abelson, 51, a Wellesley resident who said he drove to work Tuesday after 25 frustrating minutes on the platform that included two different posted reasons for train delays and a train that sped by without stopping.
Of course, you get what you pay for (or in this case - what the MBTA will pay for), It costs 29 cents per passenger mile to run the commuter rail in Massachusetts, while the same cost per passenger mile in Chicago is 31 cents, NJ is 33 cents, NY Metro-North is 46 cents, and the LIRR is 49 cents.
The article noted that Boston, in comparison to other metro areas, also has a lower commuter rail ticket price. I hope this means that the MBTA/MBCR aren't going to raise fares yet again to try to "improve" performance. I'm paying more than I have ever paid, yet the performance continues to decrease.
Wow! How do I get a job where a poor performance is considered a good performance. If the trains are old, Mr. O'Leary, then where is the plan to replace them?"(The) Massachusetts Bay Commuter has performed well over the life of the contract, despite workforce problems and an old fleet of trains.
You need to look at what we've accomplished over the last 4 1/2 years," O'Leary said. "We basically have achieved what the T has asked for."
As for the delays, they're blamed on the same revolving cast of characters - old trains, worker retaliation (i.e, the silent strike), the completion of the Greenbush line, CSX, and maintenance problems.
I found it interesting that the NJ Transit system must use tracks owned by Amtrak, yet on-time performance issues don't seem to occur with the frequency that they occur on the Worcester-Framingham line. I think the MBTA/MBCR needs to hire some of the NJ Transit leaders. NJ Transit was quoted as saying:
The key to keeping those trains on-time is slotting them correctly so they do not lose their spot in the order to an Amtrak train.
Wow! What a concept!!! On-time slotting. Wow!
The article closed by remarking that fares went up in January 2007, right when performance started to really hit the skids.
Come on train riders, let's start voicing our outrage. We are paying too much money (both in fares and in taxes) to have substandard service.
If you care to become involved in the discussion, Boston.com is running a message board focused on commuter rail performance. The message board can be found at http://boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=bc-news&tid=22782.
Get involved - voice your opinions!!!
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