Stepping from the South Station platform onto the 8:05 a.m. commuter train to Plymouth and Kingston - one of the weekend trains the MBTA plans to eliminate - Carol Payne of Rome, Ga., noticed something seemed missing: passengers. Turning to her husband, James, she asked, “How many riders does it take for them to run this?’’ The answer, according to the T, is a lot more than ride the train now. The train the Paynes rode to Plymouth for sightseeing Saturday could have been an exhibit for the T’s cost-cutting plans. Four of the train’s five passenger cars were closed off. At peak, the Paynes were two of only 13 passengers sitting in the more than 180 seats available in the sole open car.
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Comments
Does Brian Moyer put his feet on the walls of his home?
How about commuter bus service, running less frequently than the train? Would that help, or would the benefit be offset by the cost of diesel fuel?
If the conductors consistently collected fares from all passengers, the shortfall would be significantly reduced. It's an open secret that on some lines and times and stops the collectors don't even collect fares. If a rider does not want to pay, the conductors pretend it didn't happen. The Globe Spotlight team should investigate this before service gets reduced. I'm a big supporter of public transport and this drives me crazy whenever I ride the rail.
Is the T's website still carrying suggestions that people use the Greenbush line to take their bicycles for beach access along portiosn of the South Shore?