The Keolis-SNCF joint venture Keolis Commuter Services (KCS) has been awarded an eight-year contract to serve as the operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) commuter rail services.
The contract is effective from 1 July and will include a potential four-year extension option.
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The MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) board of directors unanimously voted in favour of KCS to run the Greater Boston commuter service.
KCS was selected over the current operator, Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. (MCBR) based on quality and value for money.
MBTA general manager Beverly Scott said: "Keolis’s proposal presents the best combination of technical quality and price, and is more advantageous to the MBTA."
The contract is valued at $2.68bn over eight years, and is expected to amount to $4.3bn if the two two-year extensions options are exercised. In the first year of the contract, Keolis will be paid $304m.
MBTA’s commuter rail system comprises 13 lines, 1,000km of tracks, 134 stations and carries 36 million passengers annually.
MCBR has been maintaining and operating the MBTA’s commuter rail network for the past 11 years, as part of a $300m a year contract.
Image: KCS has been awarded a contract to serve as the MBTA commuter rail services operator. Photo: courtesy of Keolis.
