MBTA takes key step towards a new commuter rail contract

On a quiet summer afternoon last Friday, the MBTA took a long-anticipated step towards finding the next operator of its commuter rail. The winner will sign what’s likely to be a $5 billion contract.

Responses to the MBTA’s request for qualifications, known as an RFQ and available on a state website that afternoon, are due by Oct. 3. Companies are asked to provide experience and capability, as well as note their past performance issues with other contracts. From there, MBTA officials will develop a short list of bidders for operating the fifth-largest commuter rail system in North America.

While the overall effort has trundled under the radar, it’s closely watched by transportation insiders and lobbyists.

An “Industry Day” drew dozens of company representatives to 10 Park Plaza in May. The list, obtained by MASSterList, included but was not limited to Alstom, Deutsche Bahn, Transport UK, Transdev, Herzog, and Alternate Concepts Inc., the company headed by James O’Leary, who lost the current contract to Keolis Commuter Rail Services in 2014.

The global flavor to the attendees was the result of MBTA officials working to ensure the process is open to international players beyond French-owned incumbent Keolis.

The current contract expires in June 2027, and the MBTA wants the winner, whether it’s Keolis or another company, picked by the end of 2026. At one point, it seemed possible the next contract would bundle operations, maintenance and infrastructure together. But T leadership decided earlier this year to structure it similar to the current contract, covering just operations and maintenance. (The infrastructure upgrades will be handled in a separate contract process, according to T officials.)

The last go-around for a commuter rail operating contract drew just two bids: O’Leary’s MCBR (Mass. Bay Commuter Railroad Company), which was the incumbent at the time, and Keolis.

Judging by its actions, Keolis appears to be eyeing to win the next contract, too. It paid nearly $430,000 last year to lobbyists, making it one of the biggest spenders on Beacon Hill, according to publicly available records. Its roster includes Joe Boncore, the former state senator who co-chaired the Transportation Committee, and Patrick Moynihan, a former state transportation secretary, among others. For its own lobbying push, Alstom has tapped O’Neill and Associates.

How many of the companies that came to the “Industry Day” two months ago will turn into bidders is still unclear.  For now, that answer lies a few stops further down the track.

Has the T taken the steps needed to keep the new contract procurement competitive? Let me know what you think: [email protected].

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