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MBCR could be on the train to Palookaville

The Globe reports MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott will urge her board this week to hire a French company, Keolis, to run commuter rail, rather than re-upping with MBCR, the company that now runs the trains.

Charlene McBride asks:

I wonder if a French company running the commuter rail could bring us the bar car?

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Comments

Conductor Clouseau.

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I'm in France a few times a year for work and rely on trains for both business and leisure trips. Their rail services put the T to shame. It's always depressing and humbling to come back to my daily T commute.

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The French know how to run a railroad, but I'd love to see a Swiss company come in and kick ass.

>3 minutes late is classified as "late". There were multiple apologies when our train to Zurich showed up 5 minutes later than scheduled (it left on time, however).

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From the article:

[Keolis'] parent company has received mixed reviews in France, with rising ridership accompanied by increasing complaints about delays and crowded trains.

I hope the winning bidder does a better job, but this is a tough part of the country to do mass transportation, whoever's name is over the door.

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Anonnie, easy fix, transfer to France, might cure your depression, and they are such friendly folks to Americans.

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Ze naxed stope ees Nahr'oud

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The devil you don't know better than the one you do? I'm not exactly inspired by what I'm reading...

Regardless of who gets it, I hope there are many more provisions for remedies to delays and bad service!

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She didn't fall for letters from the ministers claiming the French company was run by racist nazis, she got tired of MBCR mismanagement and high costs

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...as bad as MBCR is now, can you imagine what they'd be like as lame ducks, with no incentive to perform?

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So we hired a Canadian Co to screw-up Ma Health Connector and we'll hire French co for this? No Mass companies can do these things and keep jobs here?

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Everything is local, except who the mid-level management reports to. And even then, some of the upper-level guys might be moving here/at the very least stopping by often. They're not sending in conductors from France! In fact, most existing conductors will simply be rehired by the new company.

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It was you!
Great head lie, Adam.

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You left out a consonant on that last line. Let me help you: "Great head lice, Adam."

You're welcome. (Adam we'll get you some permethrin...)

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Great headline.

If Adam were part of the lame-stream media head lie might have worked, though.

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Without significant capital investment in Rolling stock and track upgrades by the MBTA commuter rail service is unlikely to improve regardless of operator. Given the lack of capital at the T this is unlikely

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I used to make large capital investments in Rolling Rock while in college....let's just say things were moving pretty fast the following morning.

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With the new locomotives coming, Keolis' performance record will appear inflated compared to MBCR. (Assuming Keolis gets the bid)

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You can put Lloyd's of London or make Berkshire Hathaway run the commuter rail but if the same day to day staff are still running the show, I don't think it's going to be any better.

So the question looms, does anyone know the current staff will be replaced or not? I seem to remember this NOT happening when the MCBR took over.

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Why doesn't the T run the Commuter Rail directly?

Everything I hear about the contracted operation points to the company doing sloppy work and overcharging for it, and the T being unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

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