Just when you thought MBTA/MBCR management couldn't get any less passenger friendly

I wholeheartedly agree that random, but consistent and noticeable enforcement of fare payment (with large, enforceable fines) would be a cost effective way of dealing with fare jumpers.

I'm not sure how one enforces a fine, though on someone who isn't required to carry any identification to be riding public transit. They use systems like this in many European cities with hop on / hop off street-level transport that would appeal to fare jumpers. Automated RFID-based systems, like a CharlieCard, would be better for auditing the effect of fare jumpers on revenue.

What they need is decent, creative management. I haven't seen it yet, with the exception of the CharlieCard rollout, but even that's use on the above ground Green line trains is still laughably unaccountable at peak times like rush hour or after Red Sox games.

This is sort of "to-may-to" and "to-mah-to" when you start dropping acronyms.

True, Amtrak did not bid to continue running the MBTA commuter system. Let's remember that Amtrak only provided personnel to operate things. There was little in the way of repairs if I remember correctly in their contract.

When Amtrak dropped out of the running, the MBCR was formed to take over. It includes several transportation companies including the well-established manufacturer or trains - Bombardier.

However all that really changed was the names on the letterhead - and the paychecks.

By federal law, all railroad jobs are protected. So when Amtrak left, they offered a limited number of positions to their people to stay with Amtrak, which would operate Amtrak trains locally (1) and some were offered Amtrak positions in other parts of the country.

The remainder, with protected jobs, stayed right where they were and started drawing their paychecks from the MBCR. All seniority, retirement, and all the rest carried over. So on one day the trains were operated by Amtrak, and on the next the MBCR with all of the same tools and people in place. Nothing changed.

I suppose a few things did change that did not interfere with unions and collective bargaining.

Under the MBCR however it has become easier to work for a railroad locally. For example with Amtrak they only trained new locomotive engineers at a place near Chicago for a long time, meaning those in training had to go and stay in that area while learning. The MBCR was able to hold classes locally on local equipment.

The MBCR also picked up some of the repair contracts for the rolling stock.

The whole MBTA system is quite a hodge-podge.

The equipment is owned by the MBTA, it is staffed by the MBCR, and the rails themselves belong to several entities - the MBTA (south to the RI state line), CSX (everything west of the Beacon Yards going toward Worcester, and PanAm (also known as Guilford) going north out of North Station).

Amtrak owns and maintains the catenary service (overhead wires for the Amtrak trains) and does some track work under contract on the south side.

Dispatch (think of that as air traffic control for trains) is also shared by Amtrak, CSX, and PanAm)

With that many cooks, what comes out of the kitchen can be interesting - and not always cooked to order.

The problem with using something like a CharlieCard on the commuter trains is the cost, and operation, of hand-held validation units. The Charlie machines can talk to the central system by wire and even busses "batch out" fare box data to the mother ship every few minutes, or at the end of runs. To do the commuter rail they need a card reader, radio repeaters to pick that data up, etc. Eventually it will be in place.

*(Note 1 - Union rules require Amtrak locomotive engineers and conductors to remain within certain territories and within so many miles of their place of residence where possible. In the case of Boston, the furthest south an Amtrak crew can operate is New Haven, CT on diesel and "Regional" equipment. The Acela with a time difference, allows crews to operate to NYC and back but they are an exception. Since MBTA trains don't cover as much geography, there are no such restrictions on geography covered, however as with all train operations, crews can only work about 12 hours straight without a major rest period in-between. It is not uncommon in some parts of the country fo rtrain crews to park their train and walk away because the rail company was not watching the crew logs. The crew walks away becaus eoperating a train beyond the limits is a federal offense.

Real railroads are complicated. This is not Edaville.