Is it important to have qualified people doing track work and inspections?

I'm no Transit Professional, but I'd think those were important responsibilities. But according to the Globe, the MBTA disagrees with me: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/07/ ... r_Headline

MBTA workers responsible for checking subway infrastructure for defects either didn’t understand their responsibilities or didn’t fulfill them and, as a result, missed dangerous problems on vast swaths of the subway as recently as March, according to a new report.

The review, commissioned by the T after the agency implemented more than 100 new speed restrictions across the system earlier this year, also found that many workers in charge of inspecting the system’s tracks don’t have enough experience or training.

The new speed restrictions suddenly slowed down commutes for hundreds of thousands of people in the Boston region, deepening dissatisfaction with the state’s largest transit system. The report, together with an analysis from the T’s own safety department, offers riders a new view of the beleaguered agency’s dysfunction that has created such extra-painful commutes in recent months.

I'd like to assume someone(s) will lose their jobs because of this but I know better.

Yes, track inspection by people who don't know what they're looking for or don't have time to look/test is a waste of time, money and effort. Particularly at transit traffic levels, there's a lot of wear on rails, especially in curves, and on turnouts points, frogs and guardrails. Some defects, like incipient rail cracks, are easier to find with electronic detectors than by listening as you hit the rail with a hammer, but wear, tie deterioration and loose fasteners are still mostly human territory.

Over the last 40 years there's been a lot of cost-cutting pressure on the MBTA from the limo-riders in the State House. This has left the T lacking in a lot of formerly in-house departments, and low-bid contractors are usually slow, even if no other shortcuts are taken. This was particularly evident in how long it took Guilford/Pan Am to accomplish some signal projects I endured.

I backed up the report that was mentioned over at the Internet Archive in case anyone wants to see it.
https://archive.org/details/incident-de ... e/mode/2up

Rbts Stn wrote:I'm no Transit Professional, but I'd think those were important responsibilities. But according to the Globe, the MBTA disagrees with me: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/07/ ... r_Headline

MBTA workers responsible for checking subway infrastructure for defects either didn’t understand their responsibilities or didn’t fulfill them and, as a result, missed dangerous problems on vast swaths of the subway as recently as March, according to a new report.

The review, commissioned by the T after the agency implemented more than 100 new speed restrictions across the system earlier this year, also found that many workers in charge of inspecting the system’s tracks don’t have enough experience or training.

The new speed restrictions suddenly slowed down commutes for hundreds of thousands of people in the Boston region, deepening dissatisfaction with the state’s largest transit system. The report, together with an analysis from the T’s own safety department, offers riders a new view of the beleaguered agency’s dysfunction that has created such extra-painful commutes in recent months.

I'd like to assume someone(s) will lose their jobs because of this but I know better.

You want to fire someone because a bunch of senior people retired without training their replacements?. That happens in every agency and company.

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If they are not qualified for their positions they should be fired. Doesn't matter who's fault that they weren't trained, they are responsible. Too little accountability at the T

Or trained for those positions now?! Or assigned to positions they are qualified for?! Makes zero sense to punish people who were assigned by a superior to do work they weren't qualified for. Save firing and general punitive reactions for people who lied about their qualifications, lied about doing the work they were assigned to, cut corners when they knew better, etc. (I don't know which of those happened here.)

What is a real problem is someone reporting a problem on paper. But the paper conveniently finds a circular file 1. 2.or 3 management layers above the reporter. Reporter does not get a copy acknowledged by management.

Management deserves every single bit of blame here. The rot starts from the top. If there are issues below, management needs to step in and address them — even if they’re personnel based. Union employees can be fired, contrary to what any anti-union proponent will tell you. I’m certainly not bragging about this, but I was in a union and fired once upon a time (although not for a performance issue… long story). But if you have bad management that won’t put in the time to rectify bad situations, you’re going nowhere.

There are also management cultures where the staff knows the boss doesn't like bad news or people who pester him with it--so he doesn't hear any.

Yes. Have seen the don't bring these (list) problems to me! See no evil speak no evil. ignorance is bliss.

Why is the T culture, especially the management, so incompetent? And over such a long period of time? And it seems like anytime they do a project they have to bring in high priced consultants to manage just a particular project.

That's what you get when politicians find a place they can give donors a job.

So what is the solution?

wicked wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 2:41 pm Management deserves every single bit of blame here. The rot starts from the top.

From what has been mentioned, it seems the problems of senior officials in management go back to the Weld
era.

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 10:14 pm There are also management cultures where the staff knows the boss doesn't like bad news or people who pester him with it--so he doesn't hear any.

Which is what happened when Jim K managed every transportation agency/division in the state and refused to hear everyone tell him that the Big Dig was doubling in price.