MBTA must make Keolis accountable
The debacle on the MBTA’s Fitchburg commuter rail train exemplifies serious shortcomings on the part of Keolis, the extent of which need to be investigated. The express train nearing Waverley station in Belmont derailed when an axle broke at 7:45 a.m., but stayed upright, and thankfully caused no injuries to the 800 riders.
However, passengers found themselves walking along the tracks in a displaced-commuter caravan of sorts. Straphanger Mark Grasso Jr., whose Fitchburg Line train passed the derailed train shortly after the wheel fell off, described “chaos,” with people running on the tracks to the nearby Waverley station in hopes of catching his train.
“There was hundreds of people walking down the tracks next to us,” Grasso said.
Whatever decision-making resulted in commuters walking down the tracks must also be reviewed immediately, and a comprehensive, procedural overhaul instituted if necessary.
State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop) may have summed the situation up best, saying, “We’re not making a great case for public transit as that system is breaking — beyond being late, sometimes unreliable, especially in the commuter rail.
“You don’t have to delve too far into transportation experts to say if it’s breaking, it’s a public safety concern.”
“Gov. (Charlie) Baker expects a thorough investigation of today’s incident and the administration will continue to hold Keolis accountable and work with them to invest in the core infrastructure of the commuter rail system, including tracks and vehicles, to improve reliability for customers,” Baker spokeswoman Sarah Finlaw said yesterday.
The investigation should be part of an evaluation of the transit system, taking into account that fewer Bay Staters are riding the MBTA’s trains and buses.
Decreased ridership and the cost of improving and replacing infrastructure, along with a litany of operational issues since Keolis took stewardship of the commuter lines in 2014, must be weighed during the bidding process when the Keolis contract is up in 2022.