BOSTON — Three consortia have been shortlisted as the most qualified to submit proposals to operate the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail system, the MBTA announced today.
Current contract operator Keolis, whose contract expires on June 30, 2027, is part of one of the three teams selected, based on a Request for Qualifications issued in July. The three selected groups received an initial Request for Proposals on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Final proposals will be due in fall 2026, with the MBTA planning to select the new operator by the end of 2026.
The three groups selected are:
— Keolis-Alstom Joint Venture Partners, involving Keolis America Inc. and Alstom Transport USA Inc.
Along with the MBTA commuter operation, Keolis operates Virginia Railway Express commuter trains, as well as rail services in four other countries. It also operates bus and paratransit systems. Alstom Transport operations include Florida’s SunRail, Montreal’s Exo, and the West Coast Express in British Columbia.
— Mass Regional Rail, a consortium of Alternative Concepts Inc., TransitAmerica Services Inc., and RATP Développement S.A.
Boston-based Alternative Concepts says on its website that it operates every transit mode in North America — intercity train service, commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail, streetcar and bus. Its clients include Valley Metro Rail of Phoenix, NJ Transit, the Maryland Transit Administration, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. TransitAmerica Services and parent Herzog Transit Services provide operations and maintenance for 17 North American transit systems, including Caltrain in the San Francisco Bay Area, and jointly operates CTrail Hartford Line trains with Alternative Concepts. Paris-based RATP’s U.S. operations are mostly buses, but it does operate streetcars in Tucson, Ariz., and Washington, D.C. It operates in 15 other countries.
“Mass Regional Rail is exceptionally well-positioned to help deliver a modernized and reliable 21st-century regional rail system for Massachusetts,” James F. O’Leary, managing partner of MRR and president of Alternative Concepts, said in a press release. “Our team brings proven operational excellence, deep experience with electrified and complex rail networks, and global best practices that support increased service, strong maintenance standards, and seamless integration with the MBTA’s ongoing modernization efforts.”
— A consortium of Transdev North America Inc. and Transport UK Holdings Ltd.
Transdev operates streetcars in Milwaukee and Cincinnati, and 30 rail networks in five other countries, including a Paris Metro line and intercity service in between Marseille and Nice, France. It also provides infrastructure maintenance for a number of U.S. systems, maintaining some 6,000 rail miles. Transport UK operates three British rail operators — West Midlands Trains, East Midland Railway, and Mersey Rail — as well as 11% of London’s bus routes and rail-replacement bus services.
In a press release, the MBTA said the objective for the next operator is to upgrade “the legacy commuter rail system into a modernized, high-frequency regional rail service. The contract scope also includes parking operations as well as delivering and operating Fairmount Line decarbonized battery-electric multiple unit service.”
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
