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MBTA rail carries record number of riders for Patriots parade

Keolis reports a 60% increase in ridership, deploying additional trains and coaches to accommodate more than 215,000 passengers.

February 8, 2017
MBTA rail carries record number of riders for Patriots parade

A record 215,000 passengers rode the system on the day of the Patriots’ Super Bowl Victory Parade on Feb. 7, 2017. Photo: Keolis Boston/Twitter

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A record 215,000 passengers rode the system on the day of the Patriots’ Super Bowl Victory Parade on Feb. 7, 2017. Photo: Keolis Boston/Twitter

Keolis Commuter Services, operator of MBTA Commuter Rail, announced the busiest day in the history of the system, as 215,000 passengers rode the system on the day of the Patriots’ Super Bowl Victory Parade, a 60% increase in ridership compared with a typical weekday.

To accommodate the additional passengers, Keolis deployed 15 additional trainsets and seven extra coaches. With snow and sleet falling across the region, Keolis crews salted platforms and walkways to ensure the safety of commuters and Patriots fans attending the parade and rolling rally in Boston. At the conclusion of the parade, twelve extra trains were added on the Providence, Kingston, Worcester, Middleboro, Haverhill, Lowell, Beverly and Franklin Lines. More than 100 Keolis staff members volunteered to assist passengers at select stations throughout the network, particularly at Boston’s North, South and Back Bay Stations.

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“Yesterday, we successfully ran more trains, operated more equipment and carried more passengers on the commuter rail network than has ever been done before in a single day,” Keolis Commuter Service GM David Scorey said. “This was the result of careful planning and preparation, and underscores our commitment to putting passengers first no matter what the occasion, including extraordinary weekday or weekend events.”


Photo: MBTA/Twitter

“The MBTA and its Commuter Rail partner worked very hard to meet yesterday’s ridership demands across all modes,” said Brian Shortsleeve, Acting General Manager of the MBTA.

Keolis Commuter Services (KCS) operates and maintains the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, carrying more than 127,000 passengers daily on 14 train lines throughout Greater Boston.

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