Both Friday and Monday, Quasit's train from Franklin never stopped at Ruggles due to - sing it with me - signal problems:
I've put in for the on-time service guarantee on both days. Since the train never arrived at my destination, the MBTA can hardly claim that it was on time!
However, he does report some progress: At least conductors announced the bypass on the train.
Figures. Those disintegrating, cracked Northeast Corridor ties will affect some MBTA commuters out of South Station. The Globe reports the rail lines between Back Bay and Readville will be shut June 14 through 17 to allow for replacement of the ties there. That means buses for commuters on the Attleboro/Providence, Franklin, Needham and Stoughton lines (dear Globe: What about the Fairmount Line?).
Commute-a-holic, meanwhile, points us to this fun story about the Winchester commuter-rail stop:
Signs warning pedestrians away from the in-bound entrance to the commuter rail station along Waterfield Road in Winchester are still in place, more than two weeks after hundreds of pounds of concrete fell from the ceiling. ...
Dave on the Franklin Line begins his report on this morning's commute thusly:
So I coasted in to Norwood Central this morning to find the usual festive atmosphere that heralds another colossal screw-up by the MBCR. ....
Meanwhile, Jeff Egnaczyk writes to the T to complain about its newly enhanced Worcester Line schedule (no, don't worry, he didn't use any bad words). He reports he got back a reply saying the changes "were negotiated between the MBTA/MBCR and CSX (owner/operator/dispatcher of this line) over the course of several months" and now he wonders:
... Do you know any corporation dedicated to customer service that would make a major change like this without the input of their customers?
Steve Sherlock posts his experiences direct from the train when he lucks out and gets on one of the cars that actually has it.
... For a free service, occasional access to email will be helpful and beneficial. I won't plan on getting any real work done at this connection strength. ...
As he watched the lying message board at his stop on the Franklin Line on Friday, Dave got an idea: A Franklin/Forge Park Line Twitter community so users can post actual information about the status of specific trains. In fact, he set one up, at twitter.com/FranklinLine:
... I know the MBTA is testing a text messaging system for cell phones, but I'm afraid that'll be manned by the same guys who write fiction for the reader boards. I'd much rather get a tweet from a fellow commuter with real information like "Currently under attack by hippogriffs between Franklin and Norfolk; should be moving again soon," or "Wheels have fallen off, have decided to settle in new land of Wall-Powell and raise family here with guy I met on the train." ...
On the Franklin Line, Dave reports he's applied for another MBTA rebate, thanks to another late train, but wonders what he'd do with it since he already buys a monthly pass:
On the 5:40 Franklin Line train last night passengers got to listen to this odd little exchange over the intercom:
Man: Hello, Mo.
(minute passes)
Man: Helloooo, Mo.
Woman: Hello.
Man: Got a flashlight?
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