COMMUTER RAIL PREPARING FOR WINTER STORM

More than 350 personnel will be deployed to shovel, sand and salt stairs/platforms

BOSTON – February 12, 2019 – Keolis Commuter Services and the MBTA are preparing for a winter storm that is expected to arrive during the Tuesday afternoon commute with snow, ice and cold temperatures lasting until early Wednesday. While forecasts vary, certain areas on commuter rail could see anywhere between 3 and 8 inches of snow with heavy snowfall rates of up to one inch per hour at times.

More than 350 personnel will be deployed across commuter rail to shovel, sand and salt 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 will be activated to ensure a normal flow of train traffic and mechanical teams will apply deicer to coach doors to help keep trains operating on time.

Recent forecasts from the National Weather Service anticipate a range of snow totals impacting the region where commuter rail operates. Passengers who have to travel this afternoon 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.

Customers are reminded to dress warm, remember hats and gloves and to use caution when traveling outside.

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.

Follow this link for winter-prep video footage.