Commuter Rail Operating on Winter Schedules
MBTA and Keolis personnel deployed to clear passenger areas and operate train service, switch heaters to be utilized across network
BOSTON – February 1, 2021 – Keolis Commuter Services and the MBTA are advising the public to only travel if essential today and tomorrow due to the winter storm that will impact all regions of the state through the day on Tuesday. Due to the forecast, Commuter Rail will continue to operate on a Winter Schedule that was approved by the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board in December 2020, and this schedule is available at MBTA.com for passengers to plan their trips.
“In collaboration with the MBTA, we are monitoring the storm and have crews deployed across the network to help minimize its impact on service and ensure passengers who need to travel have Commuter Rail as an alternative to driving,” said David Scorey, Keolis CEO and General Manager. “We have activated our emergency operations center to coordinate the deployment of resources and quickly address any issues should they arise.”
Passengers who will be traveling on Monday and Tuesday should leave extra time to get to stations, use caution on platforms and when boarding trains, and stay connected for service updates at www.MBTA.com/winter.
The Baker-Polito Administration has directed non-emergency state employees to not report to their workplaces Monday and is urging residents to stay off roadways and to use public transportation when possible.
MBTA and Keolis personnel will be deployed across Commuter Rail to clear snow, apply sand and salt to passenger areas, as well as to respond to incidents that occur during the storm, such as downed trees. MBTA and Keolis crews will be pre-positioned at key facilities and infrastructure (switches, signals, etc.) to help ensure normal operations. Switch heaters and snow jets will be activated in critical areas as snow begins to fall Monday afternoon to ensure normal flow of train traffic.
Recent forecasts from the National Weather Service anticipate a range of snow totals impacting the region where Commuter Rail operates.
Passengers can stay connected with Commuter Rail by calling customer service at 617-222-3200, following @MBTA_CR on Twitter or signing up for T-Alerts at www.MBTA.com/winter.
B-roll of Keolis and MBTA winter storm response efforts can be found at www.vimeo.com/KeolisBoston.
