Commuter Rail Schedule Changes and On Time Performance Statistics

Effective Monday, January 11, there will be schedule changes for the following commuter rail lines: Fairmont, Fitchburg, Greenbush, Haverhill, Middleborough/Lakeville and Plymouth/Kingston.

Updated schedules can be found at http://www.mbcr.net or you can pick up paper copies of the schedules at North Station, South Station and Back Bay Station.

Ah, these must be consistently late trains in terms of on-time performance, hence, let's make a schedule change! (Do I sound bitter?)

I will say that the MBCR website has been recently updated and there is a lot of new information on it ... which FINALLY includes On Time Performance statistics! No more searching out the posters in South Station. The November performance stats can be found here
http://www.mbcr.net/Report_Card/NovOTP.pdf.

Overall for November, trains were on time 83% of the time, down from 88% in October and 93% in September. On the Worcester line, on time performance in November was 89%, 84% in October and 89% in September, with YTD on time performance at 87%.

The best performing line continues to be Greenbush, with YTD on time performance at 95%. The worst performing line is Middleborough, with YTD on time performance at 82%. However, for the month of November, Middleborough only had 26% on time performance. That is completely unacceptable. If I rode the Middleborough line, I would be livid!

Also, MBCR now posts the reasons that on time performance was not reached:

• November 2: Crossing Failure on Fitchburg line- 10 delays
• November 3: Train 129 Mechanical problems- 11 delays
• November 5: Train 442 fatality on Fitchburg line line- 12 delays
• November 6: Broken rail at Beverly- 13 delays
• November 7: Train 1703 fatality on Franklin line- 5 delays
• November 9: Train 328 mechanical failure- 17 delays
• November 13: Train 006 mechanical failure- 11 delays
• November 24: Lowell line signal failure- 14 delays
• November 28: Train 1165 fatality on Newburyport line- 1 cancelled train
• Ongoing Speed restrictions on the Middleboro and Plymouth/Kingston Lines due to concrete tie deterioration causing delays.

Opening Day, Take Two

Let's hope the rain holds off and the Red Sox are able to play some baseball today ... GO SOX!!!

Today's commute on the p508 was right on time, we arrived to South Station exactly at the scheduled time of 8:23 AM.

I read a very interesting article in the Globe Starts & Stops column over the weekend regarding on-time performance for commuter rail trains. The article states that the performance statistics published by the MBTA for rush-hour trains are actually late about 6 percentage points more often than indicated in the official statistics.

I've often contended on this blog that the on-time performance statistics are inaccurate, because it includes times for all trains across the schedule, when really, we care mostly about the morning/evening rush hour trains (i.e. peak service). The MBTA/MBCR doesn't make the distinction between peak vs. non-peak service in their statistics, but considering that over 69% of riders take rush hour trains, don't these trains become more important from an on-time service perspective?

The article further states that on-time performance stats may be posted online in the "future." I've been requesting this on a regular basis from both the MBTA and MBCR to no avail. I'll bet something like this (people questioning the validity of the stats) is something they want to avoid, but since they are a public agency funded by taxpayer dollars, I think they should be mandated to display this information ... and not just on a poster near the ticket window in South Station.

I'm Ill but the P508 was On-Time Today

I've caught something that has made me sick. I had the Monday holiday and I was home sick yesterday. Fortunately, the P508 was on-time today.

But it wasn't on-time yesterday. I received the following email from an Anonymous Worcester-Framingham commuter rail rider:

In case you're not here, yup we are late once again. everyone file your on-time service claims!

Over the past weeks, more cars' electrical outlets seem to be failing. 1709 and 1711 have been the east-most car frequently on the 508 and 523 - don't try to use power there though. :-( I've been filing the gripes with regularity, and was promised 1711 would get fixed back on the 6th.

Chilly Thursday Commute

It's pretty cold out there this AM ... not as bad as a few weeks ago when it was -4, but close enough. Luckily, the train was on time and quite warm this morning. The p508 arrived at South Station at 8:22. It's been a good week so far for the morning commute. (Knock on wood!)

A few posts ago, I commented on the increased ridership stats for 2008, attributable to rising gas prices last year. While ridership may have increased, not everyone's experience is always good and it seems that we commuter rail riders bear the brunt of poor service and delays. I've been saying this for months, it's a good week when only one train is late. Today's Boston Globe expounds on the commuter rail experience in the article: "Late commuter trains threaten ridership gains."

According to the article, over the past six months, during a time when the MBTA was trying to show new riders the wonders of mass transportation, one in five commuter trains arrived at least five minutes late, and many were much later. In December and January, the problem worsened - in part due to weather, maintenance problems, and track construction - with nearly a quarter of the trains failing to arrive within the five-minute window.

I find it interesting that the Globe can post MBTA on time statistics online, but the MBTA themselves cannot do it. There is a great graph linked from the Globe article about on time performance, you can find it here. Interesting to note, only the Greenbush line has met on time performance statistics for the year, with their on time average being 95.1%. The worst performing line is Fitchburg with 71.7%. The Worcester/Framingham line stats are 88%.

The system itself is broken and needs major overhaul; but given the current economic situation, I'm not holding my breath that anything will change soon.

Being Punctual Matters to MBTA/MBCR Commuter Rail Riders

Hello Train Riders! Both Train Rider and I have had a busy week this week. But we do not have any complaints about being busy - we're both happy to be employed. Plus, keeping busy means you can stay warm. It is brisk out there, huh? It was 5F while I was driving to the gym this morning and a balmy 8F on my way to work.

WBZ's "Conversation Nation" started a thread this morning about commuter rail punctuality. This thread was started based on an article in today's The Boston Globe about how late arriving trains could actually cause a decrease in ridership.

This is a topic, unfortunately, that Train Stopping is all too familiar with.

The Globe's article includes this stunning chart that compares on-time averages across all the commuter rail lines in 2007 versus 2008. Think about this:

• January 2007 - 93.0% on time
  
• January 2008 - 77.4% on time
• January 2009 - 76.7%

Those are not numbers that help commuters. Many of the people interviewed in The Globe's article indicated that they would prefer to ride the train for both financial, personal and environmental reasons, but they can't rely on it and need to drive themselves to work.

Over the past six months, during a time when the MBTA was trying to show new riders the wonders of mass transportation, one in five commuter trains arrived at least five minutes late, and many were much later. In December and January, the problem worsened - in part due to weather, maintenance problems, and track construction - with nearly a quarter of the trains failing to arrive within the five-minute window.

One in five trains are at least five minutes late!!

MBTA GM Dan Grabauskas, in his great fashion, of course places the blame for the on-time performance on factors ranging from the weather to the MBCR. This is Dan's way, huh?

The MBCR notes that the old equipment is owned by the MBTA and that the MBCR is considering purchasing their own used locomotives because the T hasn't bought any new ones.

The article also acknowledges that some lines are worse than other lines.

The Eagle-Tribune also wrote an article about this winter's train woes. This article focuses on the Haverhill line and the ungodly commutes that people have endured.

Well, maybe if the T managed their budget better, they would have some more resources to run the trains properly. Yesterday's Globe ran a front-page article on how different state agencies, including the MBTA, hire outside lobbyists. The T spent $48,000 on lobbyists last year alone. Governor Patrick has said that state agencies can no longer use lobbyists.

Finally, more on the Green Line extension.

MLK Day

Train Rider is off today. Since it is MLK day, the commuter rail lines are running on a Saturday regular schedule.

An article in today's Telegram & Gazette focuses on how commuter rail ridership grew in 2008. A total of 153,000 riders across all the commuter rail lines rode the rails during November 2008, a 5% increase over November 2007. Across the MBTA, November 2008 was the highest ridership month in 44 years. The T&G even worked in a local angle specific to the Worcester line:

Ridership on the Worcester line followed the upward trend, despite long and frequent delays in recent months that have commuters grumbling. On-time performance for trains on the line was around 90 percent at times last year, but fell to less than 80 percent in December — meaning one-fifth of all trains were late.

In the first two weeks of this year, 85.7 percent of trains on the Worcester line have been on time. Officials cite winter weather and various mechanical problems as the cause of delays.

The article noted that the state is blaming CSX for the delays on the Worcester line. Of the "five additional" trains added to the Worcester-Framingham line last year, the most popular "new" train is the P504. This train departs Worcester at 6:05 a.m.

The Worcester line's trains average about 18,110 riders per day.

As this blog has said, the train delays are not a laughing matter. The article closed with some first-hand passenger accounts:
People are taking the trains, but they’re not always happy about it. Some split their weeks, driving a couple of days a week, chancing it with the trains the other days.

Pamela J. Garron, who lives in Uxbridge and commutes from Franklin, says her employer started docking time from her workday when she arrived late because of train delays. The wife and mother of four was recently laid off and believes her frequent late arrivals are one reason why.

A Worcester commuter, Thomas J. Corrigan, said the new 4:45 a.m. train to Boston has many delays and sometimes doesn’t arrive, so the 5:40 a.m. train, which is supposed to be an express, is changed to a local train, which stops at every station, delaying passengers who weren’t planning for the extra 20 or so minutes on their commute.

It is unfortunate that express trains commencing in Worcester get turned into local trains when things aren't running on time.

It was -4F on My Drive to the Grafton Station

It is frosty in the burbs today. My car, which I keep parked in my garage each night, was -4F this morning according to its external thermometer. It is definitely "warmer" here in Boston, maybe 14 or 15 degrees. Since it isn't too windy today, it feels warmer in Boston than it did earlier this week.

The P508 was late on its arrival to South Station today. We sat outside at Back Bay for what felt like eons and ending up arriving about 20 minutes after the schedule time. I guess it could be worse - it seems like other Worcester line trains haven't been running as well this week.

Spurn on by the new MBCR newsletter, Commute-a-holic sent the MBCR a suggestion. How about printing the on-time performance rates in the MBCR mouthpiece, um newsletter?

This is what the MBCR had to say about Commute's suggestion:

I have just read your email regarding your concern about the commuter rail's on-time performance.

I appreciate that you sent me this concern and your suggestions for the newsletter. We post the on-time performance for each line at the appropriate main stations. The posters are put up at North, South and Back Bay station each month and they display the on-time performance for each line.

Thank you for writing to me with your concern, I hope this information was helpful.

South Station commuters - I don't know about you, but I really don't think the on-time performance posters are located in a "prominent" spot. They're buried in the back of the station.

Where was the P504 Today?

Train Rider is back. I did ask Santa to make sure that the MBTA/MBCR commuter rail performs with a 95% on-time performance. That's all I wanted for Christmas. Too bad Santa didn't listen to me. Today was another fine Monday.

I had a very early meeting this morning. So, instead of taking the P508, I attempted to take the P504. Guess what - the P504, which departs Grafton at 6:19 a.m., was cancelled this morning. I have no idea why the train wasn't running - it seems par for the course on Monday's. Has the MBTA/MBCR been able to make sure the Monday morning trains on the Worcester line actually run when they are supposed to? It wasn't snowing this morning. It wasn't freezing cold. Monday's happen - so where was the train?

Based on feedback shared by one of my coworkers, I do believe the P508 ran on schedule today.

Total bummer about the Pats, huh? That's what we get for counting on the Jets. Stupid Jets. Stupid Brett Favre.

Worcester Line Holiday Schedule Update

The MBTA still has not corrected the press release about the 2008 Holiday Schedule. Fear not, Worcester-Framingham line riders, Newtonville Train Rider shared the following:

I called the "customer service" line. I was at least able to learn that the P515 will be going all the way to Worcester, and the P519 will be making the Newton and Wellesley stops.

They didn't have a list of the changes; he just had to compare the two schedules and identify the differences. There could be more than the two I listed!

I don't know if other trains are impacted, but I sure hope this information helps.

In other news, at least the team at Daily Worcesteria is trying to find out the on-time performance reports for the Worcester line. But, neither the MBTA nor the MBCR is being that helpful. Check this out:

The MBTA and train operator MBCR used to be one of the best with responding to information requests: We’d ask for on time performance numbers for the Worcester line for a certain time frame, and get a response; usually within a few hours, occasionally within a day. How times have changed. In November, we emailed Joe Pesaturo at MBTA, asking him for October data. He told us it wouldn’t be ready until December. On Monday, we emailed MBCR spokesman Scott Farmelant, who told us he was out until Wednesday. On Tuesday, Pesaturo told us to email Farmelant; when we told him Farmelant was out, he responded he had forwarded our request to the railroads operation staff. We’re still waiting on the numbers.

Governor Patrick - since you've made a lot of people unhappy with your selection of James Aloisi as the new Transportation Secretary, perhaps you can hold the MBTA/MBCR accountable with providing on-time performance results of the commuter rail lines IMMEDIATELY after the month closes, not months later. Lt. Governor Tim Murray - you seem interested in transportation - what about holding some people accountable?

Happy Holidays!!

When MBCR/MBTA Trains are Late, Commuters Pay

I'm beginning to think that maybe Train Rider possess some clairvoyant skills. Lately, when the Worcester line has been delayed, Train Rider has either been away on a business trip or driven into Boston. It almost seems like Train Rider knows when the trains will be delayed.

Alas, that is not the case. Circumstances have caused Train Rider to not be stuck on the Worcester train. Although today's T&G article said that the Worcester line trains ran on-time yesterday morning, it looks like the delays are back. Here's what Kidney Stones said about this morning's commute on the P508:

You missed another abhorrent commute this morning. The P508 pulled into South Station at around 8:58. This marks the 4th time out of the last 7 morning commutes on the P508 that have been delayed by 30 minutes or more.

I am at my wit's end with the MBTA. This is absolutely inexcusable, and downright unacceptable.

I would like to make a list of the areas of my life that have been negatively affected by the MBTA. This list is by no means comprehensive:

1. The MBTA has negatively affected my finances. First, it is an absurd $250 a month to commute to Boston from Worcester on a train that is routinely late. Secondly, the recent parking hike to $4 a day makes it REALLY tight financially, as we are in the middle of a recession.
2. The MBTA has negatively affected my job security. By arriving extremely late last Monday, last Tuesday, Friday, and today, I look like I don't care about my job. This is especially bad in these hard economic times.
3. The MBTA has negatively affected my sanity. It is literally TORTURE to sit on a non-moving train for 30-40 mins with vague announcements. All commuters know this first hand.
4. The MBTA has negatively affected my marriage. Since I've been getting in so late, I must stay later at night, taking away dinner time with my family--something I value greatly. My wife is quite frustrated, and this often causes petty arguments between us. I blew up at her last week over something STUPID, when in reality I was simply frustrated at the trains.
5. The MBTA has negatively affected my social interactions with both friends and customers that I deal with. This morning, for example, when I finally got in the office, my phone rang. I literally stared at it and let it go to voicemail. I was so heated, that I probably would have said something I'd later regret.
   

Bottom line is, THERE IS NO MINIMUM LEVEL OF SERVICE WITH THE MBTA.

This is pretty serious and it is something that has impacted people who rely on the trains. I'm not sure what the solution is. No doubt, someone will blame Kidney Stones for being whiny or complaining. What should he do - start driving into work? Stop buying a monthly pass and winging it? For the latter, if the train is late, no biggie (other than possibly losing your job or causing your marriage to implode), you've only spent $4 getting into the city if passes aren't checked.

The Worcester line obviously has some serious issues occurring. Sure, today's T&G article was all fine and dandy - everything looked fixed. But something needs to be done . . . this needs to be addressed beyond "we know it is bad." Start developing solutions. Too bad transportation is imploding in Massachusetts.

Here's a thought - why can't the Worcester line get the trains (the newer cars) that run on the Greenbush line? If some lines (Worcester, Fitchburgh, Franklin, Providence) have a lot of delays and if the delays are due to mechanical issues, why can't trains be moved around. That way, the bulk of the delays just don't happen to commuters who have the unfortunate occurrence to live along an unlikely line.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions? The boiling point has been reached.

Worcester Bloggers and More Debate About Parking

I would like to give a big shout-out to Neil of the 4-Rilla is Real blog and Linnea of Real Worcester for last night's meet-up at the Worcester Shark's game. Commute-a-holic and I both participated. It was nice to meet other Worcester-area bloggers and blog readers and it was great to get out and support the Worcester Sharks. The Sharks beat the Norfolk Admirals 4 to 3.

This was a fun and an inexpensive event. What more can you ask for in such trying days? In case you're either a hockey fan or you're looking to do something fun and inexpensive, the Sharks have a program where you can purchase tickets to Wednesday night games for $5.00 a ticket for groups of 10 or more. You can't even go out and see a movie for that. So if you're looking for something to do, consider checking out a Sharks game on a Wednesday night this winter. The DCU Center is a safe and welcoming environment which has been renovated to remove any sign of the old "Centrum" orange seats.

I even took the P527 train all the way to Worcester and walked to the DCU. Commute-a-holic was kind enough to return me to the Grafton station after the game.

Now on to commuting news!

The P508 was on time. We arrived into South Station at 8:21 a.m. The parking lots still look like they're only 1/2 way filled in Grafton, Westborough, Southborough, and Ashland.

Though I haven't seen published MBCR/MBTA on-time performance stats in months, I did notice a sign in the far corners of South Station. For the month of October 2008, the Worcester-Framingham line had an on-time performance of 90.55% and a year-to-date performance of 87.67%. I, for one, think these stats are suspicious. But there doesn't seem to be any accountability for publishing the stats by an outside authority, so I guess we have to go with what they are telling us.

People are still fired up about the parking rates. We appreciate all comments made to the blog - even if we don't agree with them. Commute-a-holic and I love how the blogsphere generates dialogue, which is what we are trying to do.

If you're a commuter rail rider and you're looking to connect with other riders, feel free to use Train Stopping to make those connections. A comment by Raghu Saranathan for West Natick commuters yesterday made me realize that others may be looking to connect. Let's all try to work together.

I will say, I do get annoyed when I see references to people "cutting out lattes to pay for parking." I've actually made a lot of reductions in my life over the past 2 years. I'm single and I work in financial services, so there is a very strong probability I could lose my job if the market continues its downward slant (spiral). I'm glad I started to become a lot more environmentally aware over the past few years, because it has helped me cut down on my consumption. That being said, I'm still irritated when I see utter mismanagement of public funds and I am still incredibly upset about this parking increase. But we will work through this.

On to the news. Yesterday's Examiner.com contained a scathing commentary on what happens when we don't pay to ride buses or trains. It is really well written and I agree with the sentiments. It may not solve all the debt issues, but I have got to believe that these funds help the bottom line. If not, then why even bother with fares?

Today's The Boston Globe focuses on how Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi is now pushing for the gas tax to offset transportation costs. Also, there is an op-ed by Senate President Therese Murray and Senator Steven Baddour. The focus is about reforming the transportation system in the state. The state is certainly in for a long haul, so to speak.

Finally, the MBCR and MBTA have entered into a partnership with the Samaritans to increase awareness about suicide prevention and support services. The partnership will also provide support to transportation workers who may have been impacted by a suicide. The partnership includes:

• Creation and implementation of a public awareness campaign about suicide prevention services, including advertisement for the Samaritans’ Statewide Toll Free Helpline 877-870-HOPE (4673) that will be promoted in posters placed in T and Commuter Rail stations.
• Creation of a Samaritans education and information program that will be available to provide emotional support services to transportation employees who witness or handle suicides.
  
• Creation and implementation of an awareness campaign regarding Samaritans’ need for volunteers to increase their capacity to assist persons in need and families of those who have died by suicide.
  

The Morning After Lester's No-Hitter

How exciting that Jon Lester threw the Red Sox's first no-hitter by a lefty pitcher in 52 years. Amazing, huh? What's even more amazing - I was supposed to go to last night's game. But a severely sore throat caused me to go home and watch the game on NECN like most of the other Red Sox nation fans. While I'm disappointed I wasn't at the game, at least my sore throat is now just a plain head cold. I wanted to make sure I am well for the Memorial Day weekend.

This morning, to mix things up a bit, I took the P512 in from Grafton. This train departs Grafton at 7:49 a.m. and we arrived to South Station at 9:06 a.m., about two minutes ahead of schedule.

Thanks to my head cold, I had to visit my doctor yesterday. Since I am now working on the waterfront, I had to take the Silver Line into South Station. As I was walking through South Station, I saw that the April 2008 on-time performance stats were posted. The Worcester-Framingham line on-time performance stat last month was roughly 90.38%. This was slightly lower than the March 2008 performance. If either Commute-a-holic or I receive the MBCR's on-time performance stats, we'll post them to the blog.

In other transportation-related news, it sure seems like I-93 will eventually have toll roads added. According to this article from today's The Boston Globe, the top transportation official in the state has said that he would like to look at tolls as a way to raise revenue to maintain the state's major roads. Perhaps because I live west of Boston and may be a bit biased because I need to use the Pike to travel through much of Massachusetts, why should the Pike be the only major toll road? It sure seems like the North Shore and South Shore residents receive a "free ride" for using the highways. On the other hand, I can't even fathom how they would incorporate toll booths anywhere on 93. Can you say "traffic cluster f*ck?"

Yesterday's Standard-Times published an article yesterday on the increase use of the Middleboro Commuter Rail Line, especially at the Lakeville station. This increase is being attributed to the high cost of gas and the challenge of driving on Route 24 into Boston.

Finally, a press release posted last week to the MBTA's website has photos of the new commuter rail cars with the new bike cages. The T is also looking to perhaps expand the times for when commuters are allowed to take their bikes on the subway. Commute-a-holic just returned from a trip to Ottawa, ONT Canada. Ottawa encourages commuters to travel by bicycle by providing bike racks and bike trails throughout the city. Biking is a great way to conserve resources and stay in shape.

MBCR's Spokesperson Shares March 2008 Commuter Rail Performance Results and Press Release Announcing Worcester Line Track Work

Train Stopping has been contacted by the MBCR's spokesperson. Periodically we will be publishing press releases and other information provided by the MBCR.

Today we have two pieces of informaton. One pertains to the March 2008 on-time performance stats for the Commuter Rail lines. The second is an announcement about track work beginning this Sunday on the Worcester line.

According to the MBCR's spokesperson, the MBCR (not the MBTA) is responsible for releasing the on-time performance data. The MBCR will release the data each time a reporter has requested. However, the MBCR does not have any control over whether or not reporters actually publish the on-time performance information.

Along with releasing the data to the media, the MBCR's customer service department also publishes the numbers as part of its Clockwork program. The MBCR's spokesperson said that he believes the data is published at the major stations (North, South & Back Bay).

The spokesperson also told Train Rider and I that on-time performance improved in March. Ongoing bridge work on the Dorchester Branch and Franklin via Fairmount Branch continues to have a significant impact on service performance throughout the South Side.

Since I'm not a web developer, I can't figure out how to place this information into a nice graph.

Here is the data:

• Newburyport/Rockport: Mar.-88% Feb-86% Change-2%
• Fitchburg: Mar.-92% Feb-83% Change-9%
• Gloucester Branch: Mar.-90% Feb-87% Change-3%
• Lowell: Mar.-94% Feb-86% Change-8%
• Haverhill: Mar.-87% Feb-84% Change-3%
• Haverhill via Wildcat: Mar.-90% Feb-79% Change-12%
• Providence: Mar.-79% Feb-80% Change--1%
• Dorchester Branch: Mar.-58% Feb-58% Change-0%
• Franklin via Fairmount: Mar.-56% Feb-47% Change-9%
• Franklin Branch: Mar.-82% Feb-77% Change-5%
• Greenbush: Mar.-97% Feb-96% Change-1%
• Kingston: Mar.-89% Feb-89% Change-.07%
• Middleboro: Mar.-90% Feb-81% Change-8%
• Needham: Mar.-89% Feb-82% Change-7%
• Plymouth: Mar.-96% Feb-86% Change-7%
• Stoughton: Mar.-75% Feb-75% Change-0%
• Worcester: Mar.-92% Feb-85% Change-7%
  

Note: System on-time performance (OTP) in March was 85.5%, an increase of 5 percentage points over February. Worcester Line weekday performance was at 96% for the month, making this the second strongest weekday line for the month, after Greenbush. Worcester Line service operated at 100% on 9 of the 20 weekdays in March. The performance on the Dorchester Branch and the Franklin via Fairmount Line has been significantly impacted by the MBTA's Columbia Road Bridge replacement project. This project is scheduled to last at least three years. The location of this bridge project and the resulting impact on this heavily traveled line affects both scheduled trains and movements to and from the south side maintenance facilities and occasionally impacts other services.

Press release:

New Rail Tie Work To Create Short-Term Delays On Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line

(Boston, MA) – The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its provider of Commuter Rail service, Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), today announced that CSX, which is responsible for train dispatching and track maintenance on the Worcester/ Framingham Commuter Rail Line, will commence an eight-day rail tie replacement project beginning on Sunday, April 13.

Between April 13 and Wednesday, April 16, CSX will undertake a tie replacement project between Westboro and Worcester between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. As a result, commuter rail trains operating during this time period may experience delays of up to 20 minutes while travelling through the work zone. Trains operation after 6:30 p.m. and before 8:30 a.m. may experience shorter delays as the result of speed restrictions related to the work.

Work is expected to resume the week of April 20 through April 23 in the immediate Worcester area. This schedule is expected to significantly reduce work-related delays.

Further information about this project, which is part of CSX’s ongoing maintenance program to ensure safe and efficient rail service, is available at the MBTA website (http://www.mbta.com/.) Daily updates will be also displayed on station LED monitors and available from Train Crews.

The MBTA and MBCR wish to apologize to customers on the Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line for any inconvenience they may experience as a result of this important

Further information about this project is available at the MBTA website (http://www.mbta.com/). Daily updates will be also displayed on station LED monitors and available from Train Crews.

The MBTA and MBCR wish to apologize to customers on the Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line for any inconvenience they may experience as a result of this important maintenance activity. The MBTA and MBCR thank these customers for their understanding and continued support of commuter rail.

About MBCR
The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company, LLC (MBCR) is a partnership of Veolia Transportation, one of Europe’s largest passenger transportation companies; Bombardier Transportation, the world’s leader in the manufacture and maintenance of passenger rail vehicles; and Alternate Concepts, a Boston-based transportation operations and consulting firm with expertise in the design, operation and maintenance of rail transit systems. MBCR operates and maintains the fifth largest commuter rail network in the United States under a contract with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MBCR provides service to 40 million passengers a year in nearly 80 cities and towns in Massachusetts, as well as Providence, RI.

An Update about the MBTA/MBCR March 2008 On-Time Performance Reports

First, Train Stopping has reached a milestone. We posted our 200th post today!!

I received the following email from former MBTA employee Bob Stoetzel providing some insight into how the MBTA prepares the monthly on-time performance reports. Bob said we could share this information.

As Commute-a-holic and I have mentioned, neither of us have been able to find the March 2008 on-time performance stats. Who knows - perhaps the latency of the March report is tied to staffing changes at the MBTA. If anyone comes across the March on-time performance report, feel free to email us at either worctrainrider AT gmail.com or commuteaholic AT gmail.com.

Thank you.

Train Rider

Here is Bob's email:

I am surprised by the MBTA's delay in making commuter rail on-time performance for March, 2008 available to the public. As the person who was formerly responsible to provide this information to the General Manager's Office, as well as to Secretary Cohen, I was required to have on-time performance for the month available by the close of business of the first business day of the new month, accompanied by text that highlighted specific impacts, both positive and negative, to on-time performance during the month.

My interest in this information is two-fold. First, I am very interested in obtaining this information out of personal curiosity as I am no longer associated with the commuter rail information. Second, I am also aware of the complexity of determining the accurate on-time performance on the Worcester Line as it was my experience that many outbound trains (and a smaller number of inbound trains) were not being reported by MBCR crews to MBCR dispatchers. It was therefore necessary to obtain train delay information directly from CSX dispatchers. This information was then compared to the data provided by MBCR with necessary corrections made prior to submitting the "official" numbers.

As a subscriber to your very informative blog, I am awaiting your posting of this information as, as you know, the MBTA does not provide this information on its website and MBCR does not make it available until they post it at North Station, South Station, and Back Bay Station.I am encouraged by what I assume to be performance improvements on the Worcester Line, As I advised you previously, a large reason for these improvements has been the continued focus on the line by CSX personnel. This is extremely critical due to the upcoming track work. The extensive efforts in New York, Jacksonville, and, most critically, on-site with the track crews were the primary reason for the minimal service interruptions from the trackwork in March; efforts which, as usual, were not highlighted by MBTA and MBCR press releases.

Sincerely,
Bob Stoetzel

Grafton Train Rider Experiences Some Bad Commutes

Hello! Sorry for being out-of-touch the past few days. I've been tied up with a lot of work meetings/training sessions, so I haven't had time to blog about my commutes. Which have been fine.

Commute-a-holic hasn't noticed any recent news articles about the MBTA/MBCR/Commuter Rail. So that's why the blog has been quiet.

However, I would like to share some feedback from Grafton Train Rider. Special visitor Grafton Train Rider has sent us some updates on recent commutes into Boston. The first update pertained to a commute this morning:

I have an event tonight at Babson College so I decided to take P504 inbound from Wellesley Square. A sign was posted that the train was running 10 minutes late but arrived closer to 18 minutes late. The train was so tardy that we ended up picking up passengers expecting to take P506 (which was also subsequently delayed), the local train departing from Worcester. Thus, folks were standing by the time we pulled into Wellesley Hills, and no further passes were checked or fares collected. The conductor announced that the delay was caused by signal problems upon departing from Framingham. I managed to catch the #1 bus, which was also packed, across the bridge to MIT so my door-to-door commute Grafton to Cambridge via Wellesley - 2:05 - not a new record but very annoying.

The other commute took place over the weekend. Here's the saga:

Check out my Saturday outbound commute fiasco. At least the conductor announced the reason for the delay and encouraged folks to submit for the on-time service guarantee. The conductor said that CSX had to complete some "important paperwork". I also saw track crew on the tracks between Yawkey and Back Bay. I'm not certain if their presence was related to the "important paperwork", though.

--- On Mon, 4/7/08, Commuter Rail Customer Service - Customer Service wrote:

From: Commuter Rail Customer Service - Customer Service
Subject: Concern #1971-5959414: Created (no late train message, useless message on other days )
To: Grafton Train Rider
Date: Monday, April 7, 2008, 12:14 PM

Thank you for your recent communication. Your comments are important to us. A customer service representative will handle your email and respond to you shortly.
Concern Information:
Concern #: 1971-5959414
Date Created: 4/7/2008 12:14 PM EDT
Date of Incident: 4/5/2008
Line: Worcester
Station: Yawkey
Departure Time AM/PM: 1:30 PM (~40 min late!)
Train Number: P557
Subject: no late train message, useless message on other days
Details: P557 was approx 40 minutes late arriving at Yawkey. Why was the sign about the train being 40-45 minutes late not updated until 2 minutes prior to the arrival of the train? I also called SmartTraveler, which had no information about delayed trains. On some other days, why do the signs state "Most trains operating on or near schedule". Using the description "most" in this context is useless. Commuters need to know exactly which train(s) are running late. Or, on the Worcester line, is the list too long?

One other thing - Grafton Train Rider virtually swears that there were handouts for on-time performance stats for March 2008. According to the handouts, the Worcester-Framingham line's on-time performance for March came in at 92%. What's more shocking . . . that there was such a marked increase over February 2008 or that the Worcester line can't seem to hit the 95% on-time mark?

Well at least the Red Sox won yesterday's Fenway Park Home Opening. And supposedly it is nice in Central Mass. today, so I might get to experience some "spring like" weather before the day is over. Because the weather her in Boston has left a lot to be desired.

Train Rider

Inbound P508 Train Late Due to Mechanical Issues on the P506 Train

As I was pulling into the Grafton parking lot at 7:02 a.m. this morning (for the P508 7:09 a.m. train), the whistle was already sounding and the train arrived right after that. People were at a dead run to the platform, even bypassing the parking lot fee slots. The train pulled out at 7:05 a.m. I didn't even attempt to run to the train.

This turned out to be the p506, which looked to be about 25-30 minutes behind schedule. I checked my Blackberry for service alerts on the MBTA website, and sure enough, both the p506 and p508 were delayed. The announcement for the p508 said to expect a 20-25 minute delay.

The p508 arrived at 7:29 a.m., just about 20 minutes after the scheduled departure time. The train was about 3 cars short, which would mean we could expect a packed train. Some of my fellow passengers were joking that it would probably be made a local as well (it wasn't, thank goodness!). I sat in the first car and didn't have my pass checked. Around Ashland, the first announcement was made about the delay, due to mechanical problems on the p506 (the train right before mine), so because they were delayed, we were as well.

We arrived at Back Bay at around 8:25 a.m. I got off and took the Orange Line to work. So, today's delay was not enough for reimbursement. But in the "olden" days before the schedule change, we definitely would have been at least 1/2 hour late and I would be submitting for a reimbursement. Now it seems that delays have been built in to the schedule, so we weren't really too too late.

Since it looks like a number of other lines, including the Franklin line, have been experiencing delays, the MBTA/MBCR announced last week that new schedules for five South Side commuter rail lines would be going into effect this coming Monday, April 7th. The schedules have finally been posted on the MBTA's website.

Commute-a-holic and I will both continue watching for the March 2008 on-time performance stats.

Inbound Commute Ran Like Clockwork

Another status quo P508 commuter rail commute this morning. Just like yesterday, everything ran like clockwork with the exact same times - we pulled into Back Bay Station at 8:13 a.m. and we arrived at South Station at 8:22 a.m. Another glorious morning of arriving to South Station with one minute to spare!

Perhaps the Worcester-Framingham Line's on-time stats for the month of March will actually be good!!

I know not every commuter rail line is running as well as (dare I say it) the Worcester line. I heard traffic reports this morning that said the Fairmont line was running behind. I think both an inbound and an outbound train were canceled.

Me-thinks that more commuter rail schedule changes are coming. I saw a sign in South Station today announcing schedule changes across different lines (not the Worcester-Framingham line). So, looks like they'll be changing a lot of different schedules in order to address on time performance for other lines. I was walking too quickly to notice exactly what lines will be facing schedule changes.

Thursday Morning On Time Commute and Boston Metro's Q&A with MBTA Head Honcho Dan Grabauskas

My commute this morning on the inbound P508 train was fine. We arrived at South Station at 8:21 a.m., again a few minutes ahead of the 8:23 a.m. scheduled arrival time.

Commute-a-holic and I have both noticed that the Boston Metro has periodically run a Q&A with MBTA GM Dan Grabauskas. The most recent Q&A was published on Monday, March 10th.

A Boston Metro reader wrote in about the discrepancy between actual on-time arrivals for the Newburyport-Rockport line and "published" arrival times listed at North Station. Read Dan's answer - can the man ever answer a question and assume responsibility instead of passing blame?

The information at North Station is posted by MBCR as one of their efforts to update customers of on-time performance on Commuter Rail lines. The on-time performance percentages on these posters are reflective of the total number of trains operated on a service line in comparison to all service delays of five minutes or greater.

As you have noted, the total on-time performance for a line will be higher on average than the on-time performance during peak periods. It is also important to note that the peak period on-time performance may vary significantly for the on-time performance for each train within that peak period.

Using the Newburyport Line as the example, please note the following: A total of 868 trains were scheduled to operate in February, 2008. Of these trains, 140 (16.1 percent) were scheduled in the a.m. peak period, 120 (13.8 percent) in the p.m. peak period, 500 (57.6 percent) in the daily non-peak period, and 108 (12.4 percent) on weekends and holidays. For those trains scheduled in the a.m. peak period, 118 arrived at their final destination on-time or within five minutes of their scheduled arrival, resulting in an on-time performance of 84.3 percent. In the p.m. peak period, 85 of the scheduled trains in this time period arrived on time with an on-time performance of 70.8 percent. For the largest block of trains, the 500 non-peak daily trains, 441 arrived on schedule, resulting in an on-time performance of 88.2 percent. Finally, 92 of the 108 weekend trains arrived on time for an on-time performance of 85.2 percent. Add these totals together and the result is that 868 trains were scheduled in February, of which 736 arrived on schedule with an on-time performance for the month of 84.8 percent. This is an increase in on-time performance of nearly 10 percent over the month of January (75.1 percent).

In presenting the data for February, the posters displaying information will show on-time performance for the Newburyport Line of 84.8 percent and 85.3 percent for the Rockport Line. In the a.m. peak period (which you specifically inquired about), on-time performance on the Newburyport Line was 84.3 percent and 75 percent on the Rockport Line.

While monitoring on-time performance for every train is a priority for the MBTA, the statistics posted at North Station are reflective of the overall service. And although the on-time performance rates have been trending in a positive direction recently, the MBTA and MBCR are strongly determined to lift these rates to higher and higher levels.

Worcester-Framingham MBCR/MBTA Commuter Rail February 2008 On-Time Performance Stats

Thanks to a tip from Anonymous, here are the on-time performance stats for February 2008 courtesy of BostonNOW.

The Worcester-Framingham line had the biggest improvement in on-time performance - from 69.3% in January 2008 to 83.6% in February 2008.

No surprise there: on Feb. 19, the T slackened the Worcester/Framingham schedule to allow trains more time to complete the run.

The article lists complete on-time performance stats for all the lines from October 2007 through February 2008.

First Daylight Savings Time Worcester Line Commuter Rail Commute On Time

The inbound P508 train was right on time this morning. We arrived to Back Bay station at 8:17 a.m. - the train's scheduled time. I got off and took the Orange Line to the office.

This is sort of more of the same news about the MBTA's plans to make improvements to the commuter rail line. The article appeared in today's Metro. Beginning this May, the T will begin replacing 2,000 windows on 75 south-side commuter rail coaches at a cost of $1.3 million. South-side commuter rail lines are those lines that go into South Station. Additionally, the T will spend $4.5 million overhauling the HVAC systems on 148 coaches. Many of these coaches, purchased between 12 to 20 years ago, have never had their HVAC system updated.

The replacement projects are expected to take 18-months because the MBCR needs to limit the number of coaches it takes out of service at once to avoid delays.

Call me crazy, but shouldn't the MBCR have a decent gauge on ridership and just remove extraneous cars from train lines that run during non-peak hours?

I still cannot find any on-time performance stats for February 2008 for the Worcester-Framingham line.

In other commuter rail news, things don't sound so great on the Franklin Line. As we know, the Franklin line via Fairmont had the worst on-time performance stats for February - a measely 46%. Both Dave at The Franklin Line and Quasit of Charlie on the Commuter Rail published posts this morning about the delayed 706 (which caused Dave to miss a meeting) and the 708 train. Apparently some of the Franklin trains are skipping the Ruggles Station stop, even though this is a scheduled stop. For Quasit, the Ruggles station IS his commuter rail stop.

According to Quasit, the MBCR/MBTA does not "think" that skipping the Ruggles station stop will be a regular occurrence.

According to their customer service rep, they don't expect it to be - it's just a signal problem. Now that I think of it, that's a little disturbing - I wonder what other problems there might be? I'd hate to find out by having my train run into another one at full speed!

And why haven't they been able to fix that signal over the last four days? It could have been two different problems, I suppose, but that seems unlikely.

Hmm, will Franklin Line riders soon be seeing a "new" schedule a la the Worcester-Framingham commuter rail line?

As Dave wrote in one post titled "Late! Late! Late!"

Why the hell did I think a 7:05 train would get me into Boston for an 8:00 meeting?!? Idiot, idiot, idiot. I should have slept under my desk last night.

Indeed, why should we expect the trains to get us to where we need to be on time?