Boston’s MBTA announced three qualified teams that were shortlisted to submit proposals as it considers its successor to the Commuter Rail operating contract. 

The MBTA’s current Operating Agreement for managing, operating, and maintaining the Commuter Rail system will expire on June 30, 2027. 

The three shortlisted qualified teams are (in alphabetical order): 

• Keolis - Alstom JV Partners: A joint venture of Keolis America Inc. and Alstom Transport USA Inc. 

• Mass Regional Rail: A consortium of Alternate Concepts Inc., TransitAmerica Services Inc., and RATP Développement S.A. 

• A consortium of Transdev North America Inc. and Transport UK Holdings Ltd. 

MBTA’s RFP Shortlist

The MBTA issued an initial Request for Proposals (RFP) to the three shortlisted qualified teams on December 17.  

The MBTA’s Commuter Rail system has achieved many significant milestones following the COVID-19 pandemic. Embracing a bold new approach, schedules across the network were rewritten to provide consistent all-day service. The flexibility offered by these new schedules has led to ridership recovery unmatched by most Commuter Rail systems nationwide, agency officials said. 

The MBTA is advancing work to continue to improve service frequency, including 30-minute headways on the Framingham/Worcester Line. Reliability continues to strengthen through projects such as the upcoming upgrades at North Station, and safety remains the number one priority, including through safety enhancements at nearly 300 at-grade crossings across the network.

The MBTA’s objective is for its next operating partner to build on these successes by upgrading the legacy Commuter Rail system to a modern, high-frequency Regional Rail service. The contract scope also includes parking operations and the delivery and operation of Fairmount Line's decarbonized battery-electric multiple-unit (BEMU) service. 

MBTA officials said a wide range of redeveloped performance indicators will incentivize excellence in performance, customer service, fare collection, and capital investment while driving continuous improvement. The current procurement process aims to identify a partner to collaborate with the MBTA to deliver this vision.

What’s Next? 

The MBTA is conducting a two-step procurement process to select the next operator for its Regional Rail Operating Contract. The process began with the issuance of a Request for Qualifications on July 18. Statements of Qualification were received on October 3. 

The second step in this process was the issuance of the RFP.

Beginning this month, the MBTA will engage with each entity through a competitive dialogue process, ensuring the final contract elicits competitive bids and delivers value to the Commonwealth. The bidders will also spend these nine months conducting due diligence. In fall 2026, Final Proposals will be submitted to the T. 

MBTA officials said the agency aims to select the Preferred Proposer by the end of 2026, allowing sufficient time for the new operator to mobilize before assuming responsibility for the service.