• Crew shortages caused several MBTA trains on South Coast Rail to be canceled.
• This came at an awkward time for the MBTA, which is hoping to attract riders with free weekends.
• Riders can sign up for text alerts to make sure they're aware of any service interruptions.

State Rep. Carole Fiola said April 16 she had “lengthy discussions” with MBTA officials regarding service delays and the cancellation of trains from Boston this past weekend, which saw inconvenienced riders stuck at South Station for hours on a free-ride weekend. 

Keolis Commuter Services, the company contracted to run the MBTA’s commuter rail service, was forced on April 13 to cancel seven trains to and from Boston on the newly opened South Coast Rail, now known as the Fall River/New Bedford Line. The company blamed “crew availability issues.” 

The cancellations came during an awkward time, in the midst of a promotion where the MBTA has made fares to and from South Coast Rail stations free on weekends throughout April, aiming to attract new customers.  

Fiola, who was among state legislators key to the 30-year fight to restore passenger rail service to the SouthCoast, said her office is monitoring the service now that it's here, and said riders should use MBTA alerts to be prepared for issues. 

“It is our commuter system. We have waited a long time for it, and we finally have it, and people are enjoying using it," she said. “With that comes some concerns.” 

How many conductors does a train need to run?

Public information officials at the Federal Railroad Administration said in general every train needs at least one passenger conductor to operate — beyond taking tickets, their job involves being trained and qualified to perform a variety of safety functions in case of emergency. The FRA added, however, that longer or more crowded trains may require more passenger conductors, and that these rules are governed by individual contracts. 

Keolis did not respond to questions regarding the minimum number of employees needed to staff their train runs to or from Boston.

Keolis recently conducted job fairs in New Bedford and Fall River. The company did not respond to questions about any hiring that might have occurred due to these fairs.

According to job openings posted to Keolis’ website, 21 positions are open in Massachusetts, including a posting for a conductor. According to the post, conductor trainees are paid $20.75 an hour for a nine-week training period; if they complete that successfully, trainees are paid $25.61 per hour. 

How to sign up for alerts about MBTA delays

Since the service opened on March 24, delays of about five to 20 minutes have been frequent, according to periodic checks of MBTA alerts. 

On April 14, the MBTA also had to cancel trains on the Providence, Fairmount and Stoughton lines due to crew availability and equipment shortages.

Fiola said she’s spoken with colleagues on Beacon Hill who have commuter rail service in their cities and towns, and that delays are not unheard-of because of the nature of public transportation. 

“Staffing, like everywhere, is an issue," Fiola said. “If a crew member calls out sick, that can cause problems. That is not planned ahead. ... I would expect that to be the exception to the rule.” 

“If you’re going to take commuter rail, plan ahead, know that things can happen, and be aware of the tools that you need to stay apprised of updates,” Fiola said. 

The MBTA provides several ways to keep travelers aware of delays and cancellations. 

• The MBTA Go app for iOS and Android. Riders can use the app to see any changes to service like delays or cancellations and follow train arrivals in real time. 
• Sign up for text alerts at alerts.mbta.com. This is especially useful for frequent riders who take the same train often. Users who sign up can get text or email alerts about specific commuter train runs, or even subway, bus and ferry runs. 
• Follow MBTA on X. The MBTA’s Passenger Information Center is active on the service formerly known as Twitter, posting delay and cancellation info, and responding to customer complaints.