# Boston wants to cut weekend trains



## Palmetto (Mar 13, 2017)

This is pretty ridiculous for the 5th largest system in the country. It's a cost-cutting measure of course. Given all the baloney that goes on there [check out pensions, for one thing], it's easy to see that there needs to be some economization. But killing all Saturday and Sunday trains?


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## me_little_me (Mar 13, 2017)

Per the Boston Globe:

"The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is considering shutting down entire commuter rail lines during several weekends over the next two years, a move that would allow the agency to make mandated safety upgrades and help close a yawning budget gap.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/12/mbta-considering-some-cuts-weekend-lines/Fw2xnZ5W5uK9zXOY4L2FEO/story.html

Your posting sounds more like a scare report.


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## Palmetto (Mar 14, 2017)

me_little_me said:


> Per the Boston Globe:
> 
> "The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is considering shutting down entire commuter rail lines during several weekends over the next two years, a move that would allow the agency to make mandated safety upgrades and help close a yawning budget gap.
> 
> ...


Hmm, the Globe article I just read says all weekend service shut down for a year, beginning in July.

Not a scare report. An annoyed report, indicative of systemic problems there. Didn't mean to scare you.


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## AG1 (Mar 14, 2017)

There are several Boston Globe stories being mentioned above. One(linked above) is about limited weekend shutdowns for installation of PTC .The other(threat of shutdowns) is about possible long term weekend shutdowns too reduce the expected MBTA deficit. Therefore ,you both are correct in your own way. Edited for spelling.


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## John Bredin (Mar 14, 2017)

Didn't MBTA float the idea of no weekend commuter trains one or two budgets ago as an early proposal/negotiating position that was eventually (and obviously, or we wouldn't be here again) dropped? Or was that SEPTA? Or possibly both, at different times?


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## John Bredin (Mar 14, 2017)

As to shutting down lines for service, CTA has closed L lines for months at a time, not just on weekends, for comprehensive renovation projects. The Green and southern Red Lines were closed years apart.

Speaking of L lines, New York MTA is going to be closing the L line of the subway for renovation. New Yorkers seem to be freaking out/bitching a lot more than Chicagoans did for our line shutdowns. :huh: To be fair:

*the Green Line has parallel service a few (or in places several) blocks away, and southern Red trains were rerouted to the Green so there wasn't a total shutdown.

*the New York L Line alone carries more than half the people the entire CTA L system does. :giggle:


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## Palmetto (Mar 14, 2017)

Here's some of the baloney going on in Beantown:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12314865/lawmakers-call-to-end-rail-secrecy


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## Acela150 (Mar 16, 2017)

The problem is Keolis. From talking to other railroaders they have royally messed MBCR. The rumor mill was a buzz that MBCR employees wanted Amtrak to take over when MBTA put out a new bid for a contractor. And due to the non sense that the MBTA is giving Amtrak, Amtrak didn't even bid.


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## Palmetto (Mar 16, 2017)

The Boston Globe has a headline today: "MBTA, take note: no other major commuter rail closes for whole weekend".


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## Palmetto (Mar 16, 2017)

Acela150 said:


> The problem is Keolis. From talking to other railroaders they have royally messed MBCR. The rumor mill was a buzz that MBCR employees wanted Amtrak to take over when MBTA put out a new bid for a contractor. And due to the non sense that the MBTA is giving Amtrak, Amtrak didn't even bid.


I don't know; Keolis operates VRE as well, and the service seems to be quite good, albeit on a much smaller scale than the T. I can't help think that politics is somehow involved in screwing up the whole public transit system in Boston. After all, this is the city where the mayor was in jail, but still managed to rule with an iron fist. [James Michael Curley].


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## Acela150 (Mar 19, 2017)

Palmetto said:


> The Boston Globe has a headline today: "MBTA, take note: no other major commuter rail closes for whole weekend".


MARC doesn't count?? The Camden Trains and Brunswick trains are M-F only.



Palmetto said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > The problem is Keolis. From talking to other railroaders they have royally messed MBCR. The rumor mill was a buzz that MBCR employees wanted Amtrak to take over when MBTA put out a new bid for a contractor. And due to the non sense that the MBTA is giving Amtrak, Amtrak didn't even bid.
> ...


Well that's what the rumor mill has stated, and it's extremely believable as most of the rumors are coming from MBCR employees.


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## Eric S (Mar 20, 2017)

Isn't MBCR the former operator (and bidder that lost out to Keolis the last go-around)? Things weren't exactly in great shape under MBCR either, IIRC.


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## Palmetto (Mar 22, 2017)

That is correct. There's a lot of 'behind-the scenes' BS that happens in Beantown, apparently. I don't have a stitch of proof for that statement, but something's rotten in Denmark, it seems.

BTW, the governor has nixed the plan to cut weekend service. There was a lot of blowback on the proposal.


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## jis (Mar 22, 2017)

Like many other things it was probably a bit of posturing for something anyway.

I'd take whatever MBCR employees say on this matter, with a large pinch of salt. They, by their very position, are likely to be biased, and telling one side of the story even if it stretches the truth quite a bit possibly, as is apt to happen in such situations.


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