Keolis Debuts New Weather Advisory System for MBTA Commuter Rail Service
Keolis Commuter Services announced the implementation of a new Severe Weather Advisory System, which it developed to provide passengers with a quick and easy way to determine if the commuter rail schedule will be impacted by major weather events.
During a major weather event, special signage will be deployed at North Station, South Station and Back Bay and on the MBTA website to alert passengers on the status of the system. The signs use color coding so that passengers can find out the system’s status on the day of the weather event, as well as what is planned for the following day. If schedules are amended the changes will be also reflected in the Keolis Commuter Rail and the Transit apps. The system was deployed today for the first time, in anticipation of tomorrow’s winter storm.
“Our intention is to operate the commuter rail system according to the published schedule every day of the year, regardless of weather conditions,” said Keolis Commuter Services General Manager David Scorey. “But should a weather event be so severe that schedule adjustments are necessary, we want our passengers to know what to expect so they can plan their travel accordingly.”
The service levels are as follows:
- Purple: Regular daily service.
- Blue: About one third of the trains will not run. Express trains will stop locally, resulting in delays of 15-25 minutes
- Orange: Only about 50% of trains will operate. Similar to a weekend schedule with additional trains added on certain lines to make ensure at least one rush hour train per line.
- Gray: All service will be cancelled.
