The operator of the MBTA’s commuter rail service has been fined $804,000 for late trains and other performance issues, including station and train cleanliness, according to transit officials.
“After four months of running MBTA commuter rail, October was a disappointing month for Keolis and our passengers, but we’re determined to improve,” said Mac Daniel, a Keolis spokesman.
The MBTA levied fines of $434,000 for inadequate on-time performance, which dipped to 85 percent in October, and also fined the company $370,000 for inadequate fare collection, staffing, cleanliness, and lighting failures during the past four months.
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4 comments:
London commuter trains (the ones from above ground) also get dinged for late trains. They look after not the only the trains but the rails as well.
York Region Transit (YRT) and VIVA (their rapid transit system) also have metrics where the contractors get dinged.
On VIVA it is:
1. If a buses are over 20 minutes apart.
2. Buses missing (i.e. mechanicial failure).
3. Buses starting but not finishing the route.
4. Customer complaints per passenger volume (i.e. every 1,000 passengers should average so many complaints).
There is more, but the above is what I remember when talking to one of the YRT Supervisors.
Michael, that comment about London is not exactly true. There are two groups of organizations in the UK: Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies (TOCs), like Virgin, Arriva and London Overground.
If there is a delay to trains caused by overrun engineering works, infrastructure failure etc., Network Rail is fined. If trains are delayed due to ill passengers, scheduling failures etc., the TOC is fined.
It's a two-way street that must largely offset at the end of each period, but the incentive is there for both sides to keep trains running on time. Of course, this model only works where the TOCs and track owners are different entities. There wouldn't be any point in Metrolinx fining GO; it's just transferring money from the left pocket to the right.
UK train companies had to give discounts to season tciket buyers if perofrmance in the preceding year/quarter dipped below a certain level. Much better than a fine!
We have the same thing. GO transit can and does fine Bombardier for train cancellations and delays that are considered their fault eg. equipment failures relating to maintenance activities, late crews, platform overshoots etc. It's one of the reasons why GO grew tired of CN running things because CN would never agree to most of those stipulations. The difference is they just don't publicize these things up here like they do in Boston.
Signed; You ride the crazy train, I just drive it.
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