Winter 2015 and Impact on MBTA

[bierhere]

On the Worcester line, I'm not sure how they are supposed to collect fares. The trains are so full, there is no way to walk the aisles after Framingham in the morning. I really don't understand why we are stopping in Newton given the available bus service. It would seem like if the folks from Worcester aren't going to have any express trains, the least that could have been done was to eliminate the 3 Newton stops until the mess is fixed.

The T's plan to give a 15% discount to monthly pass / weekly pass holders is a joke. The 10 ride/daily purchase folks have been riding for free for weeks, and that won't end until the T gets close to the 100% service.

[emannths]

On the Worcester line, I'm not sure how they are supposed to collect fares. The trains are so full, there is no way to walk the aisles after Framingham in the morning. I really don't understand why we are stopping in Newton given the available bus service. It would seem like if the folks from Worcester aren't going to have any express trains, the least that could have been done was to eliminate the 3 Newton stops until the mess is fixed.

When they run two 506s, as they have been pretty reliably for the past couple weeks, they should run the "first," sardine-packed 506 express from Wellesley Farms (or Natick, or Framingham). Tell the handful of people that need to get off in Newton to switch to the second 506. Or hold 509 at Yawkey to meet 506 and tell the Newton passengers to switch there.

I've been pretty disappointed with the lack of creativity or effort used on the Worcester line during this period. Running the extra 506 almost always delays 509, which then delays 508--when was the last time 508 was on time? I think they need to change the 508 timetable so that the inside-Framingham portion is the same as 510's timetable. Or run 509 express through Newton and tell people to switch to 508 at Wellesley Farms to get to Newton. And there's the shortage of coaches relative to passengers (there's no indication there's a shortage of working coaches). 527 has run local for weeks, but the board at South Station still says it only makes it's express stops. 529 has supposedly operated the last couple days, but it doesn't show up on the departure board at South Station. Conductors operating 506 are poorly informed about the extra train--when asked if there's an extra train, they usually have no idea.

[harshaw]

I've been pretty disappointed with the lack of creativity or effort used on the Worcester line during this period

This pretty much sums up my opinion of Keolis and the MBTA. Zero creativity. Maybe this is FRA rules or whatever but it really is astonishing at some level. The fact of the matter is that it is *worth* paying for someone with *operational* creativity to think outside the box. Or at least explain why seemingly obvious solutions don't work.

An easy solution would be one superset express Worcester->local to Ashland->Yawkey in the morning and the reverse in the evening. Just one express each rush hour block. Everyone west of framingham would be damm sure to be on this train. But instead they announce in the updated schedule no expresses. But good news is that we have a 4:20AM from south station! Yay!

[Disney Guy]

Complications arise when you have different trains unpredictably rescheduled en route to make different combinations of stops and some passengers have to get out at an intermediate stop and take a different train. Among other things, at the transfer point the next train may not have fare demands upon boarding and thereafter may have no roving fare demands during movement (accepting fares from passengers who proffer their tickets is still okay). This is an extension of the concept used on the rapid transit that, should a rider have to get off and board a different vehicle, he is not expected to show let alone swipe/tap fare media again during his trip.

So the crew of the next train needs to be informed of a rescheduling of this kind.

"Catch 'ya on the flip flop"
I was trying to envision a scenario where a group of stops might be skipped and passengers get off at the stop following and catch a train going back the other way. It would be the latter train that operates fare-free during that stretch.

In the long run the T including commuter rail can't continue to use yesterday's technology for today's operation. A real proof of payment system is badly needed.

[Komarovsky]

I've been pretty disappointed with the lack of creativity or effort used on the Worcester line during this period.

The least they could do is to throw a pair of the HSPs on both 506 and 508 in the morning and 527 in the evening to improve the schedule keeping. I see at least two HSPs in the morning going the opposite direction and one in the evening doing the reverse commute. I seriously doubt that the reverse commute trains are having nearly as much trouble with overcrowding and delays associated with crowding as the normal peak trains.

[BandA]

Are they maxing out (8-10 car) the consists, since they have extra coaches but shortage of engines?

[Diverging Route]

Boston Globe: Finally, they're noticing: Keolis' statistics lie.

[harshaw]

Are they maxing out (8-10 car) the consists, since they have extra coaches but shortage of engines?

Well... At least on the Worcester line you see more of the double deck sets. I haven't seen the 5 car flat sets as much.

[TrainManTy]

Are they maxing out (8-10 car) the consists, since they have extra coaches but shortage of engines?

Well... At least on the Worcester line you see more of the double deck sets. I haven't seen the 5 car flat sets as much.

They're still running several sets of mostly flats with one or two bilevels. 531 had one this week and the vestibules were packed until Framingham.

[emannths]

Are they maxing out (8-10 car) the consists, since they have extra coaches but shortage of engines?

I think they've been running 8 bilevels on 508, but most other trains are the usual 6-7 coaches, with a mix of bilevels and flats.

[chrisf]

I saw on Twitter this morning that Keolis opted to run several very busy trains as expresses once they filled, if there was an extra train running close behind. Finally, it seems that they're doing some thinking about the crowding issues.

[diburning]

So, what happens to the people getting off at intermediate stops on the trains that they elected to run express? Or is it determined ahead of time so that the customers know not to board?

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone:

I just noticed a news mention on ABC 7 in NYC (3/16) that Boston has now officially set a all-time seasonal Winter
snowfall record - 108.6 inches or around nine feet of snow - going to show how tough this 2015 season has been...

This is a question that I have concerning the repeated weather related problems with the Commuter Rail system:
How many of these problems can be blamed on MBCR and is Keolis - as the current operator of the system -
being left "holding the bag" so to speak here and taking blame for problems under MBCR?

I have been following this subject and many of the posts in this section have been very informative -
Thanks all...

MACTRAXX

[Adams_Umass_Boston]

So, what happens to the people getting off at intermediate stops on the trains that they elected to run express? Or is it determined ahead of time so that the customers know not to board?

They got F'd. My coworker was riding in from Beverly this morning. No one made any announcements that the train had turned into an express. She was crushed into the vestibule on a train that had to turn most people away in Salem.

The train skipped Lynn and Chelsea and she said there were some very angry people. No announcement at all.

[Komarovsky]

New schedules are out for next week for commuter rail. All lines get new schedules except for Kingston, Needham and Greenbush.