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MBTA general manager details hiring surge, capital wins and next regional‑rail procurement
Summary
MBTA General Manager reported a nearly 24% workforce increase since January 2023, completion of a major track improvement program and progress on positive train control and commuter‑rail modernization; officials said the next operator procurement will include service and electrification performance requirements.
MBTA leadership told the Joint Committee on Transportation the agency has rebuilt its workforce and completed critical infrastructure work but still faces large maintenance backlogs and funding uncertainty.
MBTA General Manager Phil Lang said the authority has hired 3,800 staff, increasing head count by nearly 1,600 to a workforce of roughly 7,900 — a 24% increase since January 2023. “This 24 percent increase has occurred since January 2023,” Lang said, and added that hiring is paired with training and a focus on safety and workforce capability.
Lang listed recent accomplishments including an on‑time, under‑budget track improvement program that eliminated more than 200 speed restrictions, completion of positive train control and automatic train control across commuter rail, expanded reduced fares to about 40,000 income‑eligible riders and the March launch of South Coast Rail service to Fall River and New Bedford.
On the upcoming regional rail operating contract, Lang said MBTA engaged the industry, sought broad feedback and will structure a procurement that separates operations from infrastructure delivery while including performance metrics learned from the current Keolis contract. He said the procurement will require proposals that demonstrate capacity to manage service, maintenance and electrified operations where applicable.
Committee members pressed MBTA on how the operating model and procurement will affect electrification plans; Lang said the contract will be written to support the authority’s electrification and service‑frequency objectives and to require operators to meet maintenance and service standards that enable modernized, more frequent service.
Members also asked what would happen if proposed state funding does not pass. Lang said the MBTA needs the governor’s proposed funding to maintain the workforce and service levels, adding that fares alone cannot close operating gaps. He did not offer specific contingency cuts but said the authority is reviewing options and would prioritize maintaining service and workforce where possible.
Less critical details: Lang described improvements on accessibility projects, bus network redesign first phase and an in‑house mobile app (MBTA Go) and new contactless payments.
