Northeast transit systems recovering from storm (updated)

Snow blower clearing railroad tracks

Transit systems in the northeast continue to alter operations as a result of the severe storm that reached the area on Sunday, with large-scale suspensions on some systems and lesser impacts elsewhere. Here is the situation as of 7:15 a.m. CT today (Monday, Jan. 26): NJ Transit commuter rail service will resume at noon ET […]

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NJ Transit to halt operations on Sunday; other agencies change service (updated)

NJ Transit logo

NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit will suspend all service on Sunday, Jan. 25, because of a severe weather forecast for the agency’s service area. In a press release, NJ Transit said it was taking the step “out of an abundance of caution for the safety of customers and employees,” and in alignment with Gov. Mikie […]

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CRRC plant in Massachusetts to lay off workers because of customs seizures

Six-car train of rapid-transit equipmen

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — CRRC MA, the Massachusetts affiliate of Chinese rail manufacturer CRRC, will lay off 161 employees beginning March 16 because shells for subway cars being imported from China remain held up by U.S. customs officials. The Springfield Republican reports the company, which employs more than 400 people at its Springfield, Mass., plant, announced […]

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Transit in 2025: A year of turmoil

Rail transit had quite a year in the U.S. … and not in a particularly good way. Financial, equipment, and labor issues all played a part in making at a stressful year for transit operators. The combination of reduced ridership with the post-pandemic shift to more work-at-home opportunities, along with political divisions over funding, make […]

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MBTA approves $253 million program to overhaul 40 commuter diesels

Purple and black locomotive at station platform

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will spend about $253 million to overhaul 40 commuter-rail diesel locomotives following approval of the expense Thursday, Dec. 18, by the agency’s board. The overhaul will cover HSP46 locomotives built by Motive Power Inc. of Boise, Idaho, in three orders placed between 2010 and 2013. The first of […]

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MBTA narrows field of potential commuter rail operators to three

BOSTON — Three consortia have been shortlisted as the most qualified to submit proposals to operate the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail system, the MBTA announced today. Current contract operator Keolis, whose contract expires on June 30, 2027, is part of one of the three teams selected, based on a Request for Qualifications issued […]

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MBTA, Keolis complete rail replacement on Fairmount Line

Map of MBTA commuter rail Fairmount Line

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed more than 28 miles of rail replacement on its Fairmount Line, part of work in preparation for the eventual launch of battery-electric train service on the 9.2-mile, nine-station commuter line between South Station and Readville, Mass. Service on the route, which has been modified since the […]

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Keolis, IBEW reach tentative contract agreement

Elevated view of commuter train at large station

BOSTON — Keolis Commuter Services, the contract operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter trains, has reached a tentative contract agreement with electricians represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the parties announced late last week. Keolis has now reached agreements with all 14 unions involved in MBTA commuter rail, who represent more than […]

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NTSB issues final report on 2024 MBTA Green Line derailment

Aerial view of derailed light rail train

WASHINGTON — An operator’s failure to obey a stop signal was the probable cause of an Oct. 1, 2024, derailment of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority light rail train in Somerville, Mass., the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final investigation report released this month. The train’s excessive speed was a contributing factor, according […]

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State funding to benefit three MBTA rail projects

Mockup of green and white light rail vehicle inside of tent

BOSTON — Improvements to the rapid transit Green Line, a new commuter rail layover facility, and new locomotives are among the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority projects that will benefit from $850 million in state funding under an Interdepartmental Service Agreement approved by both the MBTA board and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board of directors. […]

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News photo: MBTA unveils retro-paint locomotive

Silver, purple, and yellow diesel at passenger station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has placed a newly overhauled locomotive into service wearing the original MBTA paint scheme. GP40MC No. 1130, a rebuilt ex-Canadian National GP40-2LW, entered service on Tuesday, Oct. 21, wearing the scheme last used by the MBTA more than 20 years ago. It joins F40PH-3C No. 1030, painted to […]

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News photos: MBTA introduces Boston & Maine heritage locomotive

Maroon and gold commuter-rail locomotive with silver trucks

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has unveiled an F40 locomotive painted to honor the Boston & Maine Railroad, the first of three recently overhauled diesels honoring predecessors to the commuter rail service offered today by the MBTA. The three units are the last of 37 F40PH locomotives built between 1987 and 1991 to […]

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