MBTA Commuter Rail operating at “Blue” Level of Service on March 14

Keolis implements Severe Weather Alert System to notify passengers of modifications to service

Editor’s Note: Links to winter prep video below

BOSTON, MA – March 13, 2017 – Keolis Commuter Services, operator of the MBTA Commuter Rail, announced today  that it will be operating at  “Blue” level of service for Tuesday, March 14.

This means the normal weekday commuter rail schedule will be reduced by one-third, and express trains will make local stops and passengers can expect delays of between 15 and 25 minutes across the system.

Passengers are advised to consult the published commuter rail schedules with non-operating trains are highlighted in blue. They can also visit: link here:

Keolis crews have been preparing for winter storm “Stella” for several days, salting and sanding walkways and platforms, deploying snow-fighting equipment and staff to key locations, and idling locomotives overnight to ensure they are not impacted by the cold temperatures.

Keolis’ incident command center opens at 5 pm this evening, and the Situation Room will open at 6 am Tuesday morning.

Thanks to investments made by the MBTA in 2015, the commuter rail system now has 52 new pieces of modern snow removal equipment, including 10 snow fighters, six speed wings, six wheel loaders and 25 John Deere tractors. Also, locomotives have been outfitted with new traction motors that are better able to withstand severe winter weather conditions.

Additional work to prepare for Stella includes:

• Running trains along lines to keep snow from accumulating on tracks
• Safety inspections conducted in advance of winter to reduce the number of locomotives taken out of service during critical winter months
• Installation and activation of heaters on critical switches
• Pre-treating of coach doors with de-icing solutions to minimize freezing

Footage of winter preparations are available to media and may be downloaded at:  https://app.box.com/s/43et96ky48jzhuk9niozwxdyqq73olnd/1/21396391361/146784438166/1

Additional footage may be found here: https://vimeo.com/keoliscs