Keolis questions....

It's baffling that so many ask questions or complain....here are a few answers: 

QUESTION:
Keolis wasted buckets of money with digital screens in cars that don''t usually work...WHY? They provide meaningless information when they do operate.

Frequently the station announcements of incorrect. If you''re not a regular rider, announcing South Station upon arrival in Lakeville might be baffling.

Cars are frequently unavailable - if you want a table to do paperwork, the cars are frequently unavailable.

Why must trains stop in South Station so far from the end of the platform - a common occurrence?


REPLY:

Thank you for your email regarding service on the Commuter Rail to and from South Station.

The reason that all trains do not pull in to the bunter at South Station is due to the bus station ventilation problem. It all depends on train length and which track the train is on. This is not something which we can adjust unfortunately. 

The trains stop where they do in order to keep the locomotive outside of the bus terminal and there are only a couple of platforms where the trains can pull under the bus terminal. Those platforms have fans that filter the fumes but for all other platforms, trains must remain outside of the terminal.

When it comes to traveling on off peak trains it is the policy that the least amount of coaches needed are open, and never the control coach. This policy was implemented as a precautionary measure, jointly established by the MBTA and the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) back in 2001. 

The recommendation/ruling specified that during off-peak hours all commuter trains were to have the control car (first car) clear of any passengers. This ruling further includes other coaches following the control car which are not needed as revealed by current passenger counts.

Added to this are basic safety and ADA concerns. It’s simply safer to keep people together, in the event of an emergency, rather than have them spread throughout the train. At most outlying stations, the mini-high platform is towards the front of the train, leading crews to generally utilize the first couple of coaches behind the engine. This means that the open coaches may not include bi-level coaches with the tables.

As to the LED screens on the newer coaches, we are aware of the problems with information being transmitted across the signs, and personnel are working to iron out the kinks.

Thank you for taking the time to write and I hope you enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,

Keolis Customer Service