The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently narrowed the list of qualified teams for managing, operating, and maintaining the commuter rail system before the current operating agreement expires on June 30, 2027.
The agency shortlisted three teams: Keolis – Alstom JV Partners; Mass Regional Rail, including a consortium of Alternate Concepts Inc., TransitAmerica Services Inc. and RATP Développement S.A.; and a consortium of Transdev North America Inc. and Transport UK Holdings Limited.
The announcement of the shortlisted teams was the second step of a two-step procurement process to select the next operator for the contract.
The MBTA will talk to each company as part of a competitive dialogue process. The agency wants the next operating partner to build upon the rail system’s successes and upgrade the system to a modernized, high-frequency regional rail service.
The contract also will include parking operations and delivering and operating Fairmount Line decarbonized battery-electric multiple unit service. The contract will include redeveloped performance indicators to incentivize excellence in performance, customer service, fare collection, and capital investment while driving continuous improvement.
Final proposals will be submitted in the fall and the MBTA will select a finalist by the end of 2026. The timeframe will allow time for the new operator to mobilize before taking over responsibility for the service.