MBTA May Actually Extend to N.H.

In December of 2011 we posted a story about the history of plans to extend the MBTA's commuter rail system into the State of New Hampshire.

At the end of that post we talked about how the MBTA, NHDOT, Rockingham Planning Commission  and the towns of Plaistow and Atkinson New Hampshire were all working together to try and extend the MBTA's Haverhill Line to Plaistow. Ultimately the project was shot down by Atkinson residences in early 2012. As of last week however the plan seems to be making a comeback. 

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation says its studying alternatives for a possible extension and will be holding a public meeting on August 22nd to hear from area residents. 

When the plan was inroduced in 2011 the residents of Atkinson disliked the idea of having a layover facility in their backyard. In December of 2011, The Plaistow Area Transit Advisory Committee met for the first time in more than a decade to discuss the project. The meeting, which took place at the Atkinson Community Center, was attended by dozens of concerned Atkinson residents and local officials. The meeting eventually turned into a shouting match between residents as committee member Tim Moore tried to explain the facts of the project. According to The Eagle Tribune, the meeting got out of hand numerous times, with people shouting and interrupting each other.

Plaistow officials have been trying to bring commuter rail service to their area for years. They say that extending the commuter line would ease traffic on NH Route 125 and would help put Plaistow and the surrounding areas into metro Boston commerce. 

The first step in the project will be for the Town of Plaistow's Executive Council to pass a $658,316 feasibility study. The study will be done by HDR Engineering in Boston and will take about 18 months. The firm will do an environmental assessment of sites for a layover facility and a station platform. The study also would include estimates of the operating cost and forecast ridership.

Plaistow Town Manager Sean Fitzgerald says it is important for voters to realize the benefits of this project. “This project represents extraordinary opportunities to capitalize on existing infrastructure that would be unique to this rail project,” he said.

The public meeting will be held at Plaistow Town Hall (145 Main St) at 7pm on August 22nd. 

New Coaches Seem to Make Mark

It's been about four months since the first of 75 new Hyundai-Rotem bi-level coach entered revenue service here in Boston. Although their arrival has been a long time coming they now seem to be a true asset to the commuter rail system. 

Despite positive reviews from riders, the Rotem cars are no stranger to controversy. Production setbacks at the Hyundai-Rotem plant have caused a series of delays in the $190 Million order. The problems with Rotem became such an issue that then acting MBTA General Manager John Davis had to take a trip to Korea last September to set things straight. 

Currently there are 26 coaches that have arrived on MBTA property since November  2012 and 12 of them are in constant revenue service. According to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo the rest of the coaches are now arriving in Boston on a "revised schedule". 

As for the other 14 cars on T property, they are currently going through an extensive testing program. 4 of them are going through the final stages of testing and should be in service very soon.

With new equipment comes more reliable service, modern amenities, and increased capacity, and it seems that these coaches will surely bring that to MBTA commuters. 

MBCR Appoints New General Manager

For the past three years the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (the company that operates the commuter rail for the MBTA) has flourished under the leadership of General Manager Hugh Kiley.

Now comes a new chapter for MBCR. The company announced yesterday that Bonnie Murphy, a former safety executive with the Federal Railroad Administration, would succeed Kiley as General Manager.

“Bonnie brings strong operational leadership and regulatory expertise to MBCR with her 30 years of railroad experience." says James F. O’Leary, chairman of the MBCR Board of Directors. “MBCR has enjoyed success under Hugh Kiley’s stewardship and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Under Kiley's three years of leadership, on time performance has been on the rise. The MBCR has exceeded the 95 percent benchmark set by the MBTA during Kiley's tenure.

Bonnie Murphy says she is looking forward to working with the diverse staff at the MBCR. “MBCR will continue to focus on service delivery, consistent on-time train performance and safety in its operation, as well as introduce innovations and enhancements that will benefit our customers." says Murphy.

Murphy will oversee the day-to-day operations and manage the strategic direction for the MBCR, which provides rail service to the more than 140,000 passengers who ride the MBTA commuter rail system each day.

This shakeup in leadership comes just as the MBCR's contract with the MBTA is set to expire. The current contract, which has been in place since July 2011, is set to expire sometime this month.