C'mon! A day in the life of a Canton Junction Commuter Rail Rider
We’ve heard the gripes about the commuter rail before and I’ve done my share of complaining (see attached) with no results or response so maybe I need a new approach. Some of this we know as a given:
- Trains don’t always run on time
- Not all the doors open
- Its Amtrak’s fault
My expectations are so low that my only request is to get to my destination safely, I’ve removed hopes for “on-time” after being burned too many times. Now I’m wondering if safety is no longer a concern. This is something I’ve been afraid to even bring up because it will just take one lousy lawsuit and all our rates will go up in addition to the 9.2% increase we are now paying.
The bridge conditions at the Canton Junction have been well documented.
Of course the fix isn’t without its pain.
This means that one of the parking lots is in really high demand and as of today at least 10 spots are still covered in snow but we make due in the morning. The way home tonight is where I wanted to share what its like:
First, we start with a delay:
Stoughton Train 919 (5:50 pm from South Station) is operating 10-20 min late between South Station and Stoughton.
— MBTA Commuter Rail (@MBTA_CR) March 28, 2017
The 5:50p train is what my husband refers to as the “island of misfit toys” train with 5 super old single deck cars that are somehow strung together. This train does not have enough cars for the passengers and quickly turns to standing room at Back Bay.
When we arrive at Canton Junction - we get to cross through caution tape over a platform under construction.
We just spent months of stair repair and jackhammering for our new stairs – you can see that these are giving up after only a few months of use.
I shudder to think what MORE Canton Junction riders will have to deal with in order to fix these issues but COME ON. The system is a train wreck – pun intended – but we are going to add to it with the South Coast Rail?
Attachment | Size |
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Old Complaint Letter | 281.53 KB |
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Shout out to the conductors
I should mention that most conductors that currently service the trains I ride are fantastic. And the riders using the MBTA Rail Tracker app have a great sense of humor. At least we get a laugh :-)