Keolis Bid Under Scrutiny (Again)

Guess some didn't do some *historical* fact checking. Like the fact that SNCF was under duress...
http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/211403 ... caust-ties

I see Faux News is once again trying to bring up that bullshit about SNCF helping the Nazis.

If the people involved in the Company back then aren't dead, they certainly aren't involved with the company or its decisions anymore. I know very little about the company in question, but it sounds like a typical case of the media making something out of nothing.

This is the same BS that happened in Maryland, where Bombardier was awarded the MARC contract rather than Keolis. Keolis was able to overcome this in Virginia and win the VRE contract.

Of course, it's been reported (in places I can't quickly find now) that some of Bombardier's European predecessors worked for the Nazis too.

Aw sheesh so did Ford Motor Company and you don't see anybody trying to kick them out of America.

And here we go again.. This time it's a group of clergymen who are protesting Keolis' bid:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/1 ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NH2060 wrote:And here we go again.. This time it's a group of clergymen who are protesting Keolis' bid:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/1 ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the comments, someone praises the automatic fare collection on Keolis' French commuter rail system. How would they have any control over that here? Up to MBTA, not Keolis/MBCR.

While I can't speak directly for VRE, my interactions with them have been wonderful. I've sat in on a week long audit with reps from both agencies and never seen anything that speaks to a bad operation. I don't think a change in operators would be a bad thing here

Another round of this. It all happened in VA and MD (where Keolis bid against Bombardier, which of course is one of the minority partners in MBCR here). In VA obviously they won, but not in MD.

Looks like they're still in the running, according to the Boston Globe.

Latest says Keolis is likely going to win.I think the key is that they showed some improvment
with VRE, and MBCR didn't up here. There were too many people complaining, and too little
improvement. Everyone agrees that the old equipment has a lot to do with it, but the T
felt they should have done better. We'll see what the final word is.

Methink$ that $ource is a T board member who'd like to $ee MBCR keep the contract.

Makes that very curious proposal for an MBCR-paid maint facility on the Stop & Shop parcel seem more like last-ditch Hail Mary to salvage a impending loss. If Scott's preference is going public barely a week later, privately it had to have been clear to all parties what her recommendation was before that Globe story broke about the facility proposal.

I wonder if MBCR trying to pull an end-run around the T with that by taking it to community leaders first ends up hurting them even more with board members when it's time for the final vote.

And more from the Globe this morning.

Ugh. Litigation. This will draw things out, cost money, and our service won't improve.

MBCR: Where was your investment the past 11 years? Where was your improvement in service, and customer service? NOW, you want to promise things will get better?

Yup. And this is the tell that they know awhile ago that they lost. 2 days after Scott's recommendation goes public they retort with this.

Nothing left to do but go scorched earth. I wonder which partner is most agitating for a fight. Bombardier in particular can't exactly afford to spread more ill will after the VRE contract ugliness and the Amtrak ugliness.