MBTA employees to use 'biometric' time clock at rail facility
This new system, which has been in the works for more than a year, will enable employees to clock in and out by swiping their finger and tapping in a personalized PIN number.
Keolis Commuter Services launched a new, technologically advanced time clock system that uses biometric scanning to improve the accuracy and ease of timekeeping processes at all Keolis mechanical facilities.
This new system, which has been in the works for more than a year, will enable employees to clock in and out by swiping their finger and tapping in a personalized PIN number, replacing the current badge system.
A biometric scan is a read of certain features of a specific finger. The system utilizes an algorithm to validate the identity of the employee in conjunction with their unique numerical PIN.
The new technology was rolled out December 2 at the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (often known by its former name of Boston Engine Terminal, or BET), the primary train maintenance repair facility for the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It also serves as a layover/storage site for trains that operate in and out of North Station. Registration for the new time clock system began on Monday, Dec. 5th at the BET, along with the Readville Repair Facility, and the Southampton Street Yard at Widett Circle, which services trains running in and out of South Station. The new system goes into effect on Dec. 16 for approximately 550 Keolis mechanical employees.
“This new program, widely used by many businesses around the world, will enable Keolis to bring a modern approach to tracking time and attendance, freeing our staff to focus their time getting locomotives and coaches back into service more quickly to ensure our passengers get where they need to go,” said Ernest Piper, Acting Chief Mechanical Officer at Keolis Commuter Services.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
