Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad: Boston, MA

For over five years, Veolia has operated and maintained every facet of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR), the fifth largest commuter rail operation in North America. MBCR is a partnership that operates the commuter rail network on behalf of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Veolia Transportation is the majority partner of MBCR and is responsible for a comprehensive range of services and operational management. In the last five years, MBCR has made great strides in the areas of service delivery, customer service, diversity and maintenance, to name but a few.

Our Boston operation employs 1,800 people and operates 498 daily trains over 14 lines, moving 140,000 passengers each day. It is the largest contracted commuter rail system in North America and is the flagship operation for Veolia Transportation’s Rail Group in the US.

At MBCR, Veolia Transportation is responsible for:

• Management of the entire commuter rail workforce
• Maintenance of rolling stock, facility, track, signal and communications equipment
• Operation of trains and the majority of the dispatching
• All customer service and revenue collection

In five years, MBCR and Veolia Transportation have implemented a strong training program, ensuring that 200 managers have received leadership training and are engaged in groups that will define and deliver on the key goals of Safety, Operating Performance, Customer Satisfaction, Employee Satisfaction and Development, Communication and Profitability.

All 1,800 of our employees have received training on preventing harassment, encouraging diversity, and supporting people with disabilities and special needs. Over 350 conductors receive annual refresher training on customer satisfaction.

Despite performance targets being stricter, and passenger expectations higher, than they were before Veolia Transportation managed the network in Boston, we are pleased that on-time performance now averages 93%.

An Urban
Mobility Solution

We operate North America’s largest private commuter rail contract, moving 146,000 passengers every day in the Boston metro area. Our recent investments in improving service have led to helped boost ridership and customer satisfaction.

We are investing for success in our Boston commuter rail business.

Since Veolia Transportation took control over operations of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR) in 2003, we have implemented programs that have improved service for our customers.

A few of the things that have improved service on this busy commuter rail line:

• Dramatically improved on-time performance
• Introduced WiFi service on trains
• Enhanced ticketing processes for added convenience and efficiency
• Installed better schedule display systems to improve passenger information
• Upgraded accessibility and security of our stations
• Implemented comprehensive complaint management system

The result: ridership is climbing, and passenger satisfaction levels have increased significantly.