Commuter rail riders given a chance to vent
Sally Millar has been taking the commuter rail from Lincoln to North Station almost every morning for 18 years, and said she remembers fondly when the trains were so precise she never worried about being late to work.
But Millar said the trains on the Fitchburg line have been late consistently for the last year and the coaches are in poor shape. She said she just does not understand what happened to her once faithful and pleasant daily transportation.
``You used to be able to set your clock to the train. You can't do that anymore," Millar , who works at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Paul A. Lundberg , general manager of Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad. The entity was contracted for $1.07 billion over five years by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to run and maintain the tracks and trains. ``Frequently the toilets are not in good operating use," Millar added.
In July, about 86.5 percent of the system's trains were on time, the worst performance in 18 months for the contractor, which took over the system in July 2003.
Last week, MBTA officials blasted managers at Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad for failing to perform during the Big Dig crisis. Yesterday, the managers heard from the real experts -- commuters like Millar.
About 30 passengers showed up for a special meeting at North Station to address commuter complaints.
Passenger gripes ranged from sweltering hot coaches to trains running behind schedule or being canceled altogether.
The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad is comprised of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier, and Alternate Concepts Inc. Lundberg coolly received complaints like Millar's, acknowledging the well-publicized problems with the commuter lines and explaining what the contractor has done over the past few weeks to remedy the problems. He promised his staff was working to improve the shortcomings.
``The issue with the Fitchburg line has really been mechanical failures over the last month," Lundberg told Millar. ``I think we've turned the line on them. . . . We will do everything we can so you can set your watch to the trains."
On-time performance for commuter rail had already dropped from 91.8 percent in May to 89.4 percent in June, the first time since November 2005 that the rate fell below the 90 percent on-time standard outlined by the contractor's agreement with the T , according to MBCR officials.
Customer complaints rose as on-time service declined. There were 533 complaints in May, 654 in June, and about 1,000 in July.
Managers for the railroad contractor said yesterday they are doing everything they can to turn those numbers around, such as paying mechanics overtime and working with conductors to better inform passengers of delays.
Gillian Wood, the contractor's chief customer service officer, said her staff answered 706 complaints in July, inviting those infuriated with the commuter rail's service to meet directly with the managers . yesterday at North Station and today between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at South Station.
``I just want the conductors to communicate more what's going on," John Schneider , 48, of Lowell told Rick Davy, the contractor's general counsel . ``You're dealing with old equipment -- you've got limitations. That's when customer service becomes most important."
If a train is going to be delayed, customers should be told, he said.
Recently, the T's general manager, Daniel A. Grabauskas , demanded a time line for fixes to the commuter rail system.
The railroad contractor met the Aug. 4 deadline of having 56 locomotives in service, Lundberg said. The next deadline is Friday, when the company is required to have 333 operating coaches and a maximum of one ``hot car" per train. A hot car has no air conditioning.
Lundberg said he is confident train service is getting better. Yesterday the commuter rail's on-time service was about 94 percent, an official said, and there were no canceled trains Monday night and yesterday morning.
