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Comments
Wooooo, Keolis!
Yesterday, I received 18 service alerts about the Fitchburg line. Eighteen! Things have never been perfect on this line, but the slippery-rail delays in the last month, plus whatever horrorshow happened yesterday, are a new low for non-blizzard conditions.
Great! How is the state
Great! How is the state going to distribute the money to the commuters? Will fining Keolis actually help? Their equipment is so old. The state should use the money to fix the switches and signals that seem to freeze up every winter.
Are there previsions on what
Are there previsions on what the fines are used for? Putting it back into the system would be nice but somehow I'm feeling like the "money" will quickly disappear on balance sheets.
Im not a fan club member
I'm not a fan club member for Keolis but even I think it's not fair that they were fined because the MBTA's equipment is so g-d old. Really not their fault, they were handed a big bag of sh*t when they took over from the MBCR.
Let's see if Keolis fixes this.
Keolis knew about equipment
Yeah, it's not their fault that conditions are so degraded, but they took on a contract with performance benchmarks knowing full well the hand they'd be dealt. The thought is that they can and will fix it, because if they don't, they won't make any money.
Right
I assume Keolis baked in to the contract these costs / fines already. Like UPS assuming it'll get parking tickets.
It's not on Keolis to fix it
It's not on Keolis to fix it or procure new equipment, they're just service operators. The new MPI HSP46s are coming online as we speak so I'm sure Keolis will catch a little break once they've been integrated. Let's hope they take advantage of it.
MBCR ran with the same
MBCR ran with the same equipment as Keolis. It's not like they took good stuff with them and just left the crappy stuff.
MBCR's OTP last October was 95%. Keolis's this October was 85%. If they're doing worse, they get penalized per the terms of their contract.
The two basic problems
contributing to the issues that Keolis is being blamed for are actually the T's fault.
First, the T has refused to provide adequate funding for spare parts to keep the locomotives properly repaired and maintained. While the locomotives are 30+ years old, the basic design of the diesel engines and electrical equipment hasn't changed since then - so spare parts are still commonly available.
Second, the T has refused to invest in reserve equipment. As a result, when a single locomotive fails, multiple trains need to be cancelled. With the introduction of the new locomotives and Rotem cars, the T could easily take some of the older locomotives and single level coaches that are in better condition and rehabilitate them. This would give an adequate reserve fleet.
1) If the problems are the T
1) If the problems are the T's fault not Keolis's, then why was MBCR able to achieve 95% OTP this time last year?
2) The MBTA would like to have spare equipment, but most of the older rolling stock being retired as the new stuff is delivered can't last any longer without basically being rebuilt from scratch ($$$). These purchases were way overdue. The other problem with keeping surplus equipment on hand is where to put it. The T has zero extra yard space, what with unaccepted Rotems clogging up BET, which is why they've been storing equipment that's up for sale (to scrappers) all the way down in Rhode Island at Seaview RR (for $).
3) A modern diesel locomotive is virtually nothing like one of our ancient F40s or heavily Frankenstein-ed GP40-MC's. Parts are NOT interchangeable, and are difficult and expensive to come by nowadays. It's not that the T refuses to pay for spare parts (they're not THAT incompetent), it's that spare parts are expensive and hard to come by. There's a reason we're essentially the only commuter railroad still using these locos.
It a French company so
its okay to be fashionably late.
Slowed by dragging feet?
I've heard several times, and it's sort-of referred to in this article, that employees unhappy with the transition are staging work slowdowns and otherwise slowing the system. If so, and if it contributed to Keolis being fined, I see a heckuva battle shaping up between Keolis and its workers.
Bingo. Beat me to it. As soon
Bingo. Beat me to it. As soon as I read this story, I remembered how upset both the workers and other MBCR supporters were about Keolis getting this contract, and wondered if some sort of sabotage is afoot. Does anyone have any actual evidence of this or is it still just rumor and innuendo? If there's hard evidence it needs to publicized far and wide.
I've heard this too
Would like to know what the complaints are...I'd imagine there's resistance to a new company, especially considering MCBR was in tight with the unions and knew the political game around these parts. I'm sure we'll see more of this to come.
^^ THIS
THIS is what is wrong with unions. Seriously.. because YOU aren't happy so you're going to act like a big baby and f**k everyone else in the process (Keolis, CR customers, etc). Seriously, if this is true.. their union can go f**k* themselves and the high horse they came on.
I hope it is true so Keolis can clean house. serious, f**k dat shit.
Sadly, this clearly explains why that no matter who is running the show at the top, nothing will change ever. Keolis has a great reputation in VA/DC, but here.. not so much. Really sad.. and we wonder why things never change here.
Time for the Union to go take a long walk off a short commuter train.
You realize that so far, at
You realize that so far, at least, this alleged work slowdown is just that, right? That there aren't any known facts in this case? So, since you took this case about which no facts are known and used it as a springboard for a general rant about unions, let's go there.
Your contention is that work slowdowns happen "because YOU aren't happy so you're going to act like a big baby and f**k everyone else in the process". If you think about it for just a minute, you'll see why this is silly and simplistic. If this alleged work slowdown is in fact taking place, it's a collective action by members of a union; it's not just a matter of one worker being "not happy" on a given day. And if a lot of people are going to do something that could land them in trouble, they're going to need something more than being "not happy", they're going to need a real grievance. Now, what do you think would be a grievance that members of a union would act on as a union? How about the company/management moved the goalposts and changed their work requirements or conditions for the worse? That kind of foolishness happens all the time, and as the source of a grievance, it seems much more likely than that nothing has changed, but a bunch of union members just decided that they no longer like it.
let me clarify
You = everyone who participated. There. Now its not just one person but a collective bunch (of assholes)
But to be honest, knowing how the CR and MBTA unions have done in the past, it wouldn't put it past them to try this crap again. Anyone remember "call in sick day" a few years ago? Yeah..
And what grievance? because they are being forced actually like do work? Sorry they pull this BS all the time and get away with it because the almighty union has such a strong hold, and no body dares to stand up to them in fear of retaliation and/or loss of an election. I see this everywhere in this state, not only at the MBTA.
This is why this state really sucks ass... more of the same, all the time. We never move any further and are always held back..
Did you even read what I
Did you even read what I wrote? Obviously not, because you came back with the same sixth-grade-intellect "what grievance? because they are being forced actually like do work?" crap. You're just making things up at this point, and my time would be better spent talking with a streetlamp. Unlike your non-arguments, at least the average streetlamp can stand on its own. So, since you can't be reasoned with and claim that "this state sucks ass", all I can say is, don't let the door hit YOUR ass on the way out. You'll find sympathetic minds in South Carolina, I'm sure.
Commuter Rail Contractor
Where to begin...
First of all there was no"slowdown". During a time when the 30 year old locomotive fleet is on it's ass every day and shop counts are at the highest, a senior Keolis official decided to stop overtime work in th repair shops. This crippled the operation for days. Three Chief Mechanical Officers have quit since this contract was rewarded. Keolus has truly brought over the Minor lLeague team from the mother country.
Second clueless falacy about sickouts by rail workers, many railroad union employees do not get paid sick days, no work no pay. Conductors and Engineers that are responsible for the safe operation of the train do not get paid,they work sick.
To add insult, Keolis has a strict attendance policy which disciplines employees who take unpaid sick days. Sickout allegation is nonsense
Penalties were built into the bid price with Keols only being surprised by the swift enforcement, no leniency policy, considering the T gave h notice to proceed 3 months late!
Think about this aspect, MBCR knew the exact cost of every nut, bolt and union contract yet Keolis underbid them by a huge amount of money.Look for Keolis to begin crying poor mouth by next summer looking to restructure their deal. How can they continue to sustain losses of over a million dollars a month when their partner is the government of France. Either the T is going to restructure or the French Foreign Legion is going to invade Park Plaza.
Don't forget that MBCR had friends in high places.
I think that it bears remembering in all of this that our erstwhile Secretary of Transportation was a MCBR man beforehand. It's difficult to believe that even a guy as apparently straight-laced as Mr. Davey would have nailed his former employer (where, presumably, he still had lots of acquaintances) so vigorously.
The newcomer is not so connected. That said, Keolis has to make this work, and work better.
As for the comments on this thread disparaging the French, well, clearly these are commenters who have never ridden an SNCF train of any kind, let alone a TGV. We, as the only major economic power in the world without a bonafide high speed rail network ought to be a bit more circumspect before we start disparaging others for anything related to rail.