Commuter Rail on Time Record Needs Improvement

For the last four months commuter rails have been running late.

                Since a new French transit company took over the service, including its performance in October tying the lowest on-time rate in a single month since 2011.

                While Keolis Commuter Services has been handed $434 in fines, the on-time service has to be drastically improved.

                Riders depend on the service to perform well and to be able to count on a consistent mode of transportation.

                Keolis has been given an eight-year, $2.7 million contract but reportedly records show the new firm is performing even worse than the company it replaced, Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.

                The MBTA has a slated goal of 95 on-time percentage for commuter rail. On-time has been defined as within five minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

                While the T meets on a regular basis with the company to discuss their performance and potential improvements, riders, the people that pay the price have been complaining, and rightly so.

                In an age where public agencies are preaching take public transportation and leave cars at home, this is unacceptable.

                Non-performance fines send a clear message, but making sure the problem is fixed sends a clear message to the ridership.