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MBTA reports hiring and infrastructure gains, outlines large commuter‑rail procurement and electrification goals
Summary
MBTA General Manager Phil Lang told lawmakers the agency has increased staff by 1,600 since 2023, completed major track improvements, and is preparing a large regional‑rail operating procurement that will include service metrics tied to modernization and electrification plans.
Phil Lang, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, told the Joint Committee on Transportation the MBTA has hired roughly 3,800 staff since 2023, increasing total workforce headcount by about 1,600 to nearly 7,900 employees, a 24% increase.
Lang said the MBTA completed a multi‑year track improvement program on subways on time and under budget, removing more than 200 speed restrictions, and finished a nine‑year signal modernization program for commuter rail — a roughly $900 million effort that installed positive train control and automatic train control across the network.
He said the agency has shifted toward all‑day service patterns to reflect post‑pandemic travel and has restored frequent service in several corridors. Lang described ongoing capital and accessibility work, cited progress on new accessible platforms and station reopenings, and said the MBTA is preparing a new, large regional‑rail operating contract that will separate operations from infrastructure delivery and build contractual service and maintenance metrics based on lessons from the current contract with Keolis.
On electrification, Lang said the procurement will require proposers to demonstrate the skills and resources needed to operate and maintain a modernized regional rail system, and the MBTA will continue to pair infrastructure work — eliminating bottlenecks, adding double track where needed — with electrification planning. He said battery electric multiple units on the Fairmount line provide lessons for other corridors and that the agency aims to reach subway‑style frequencies on regional rail where feasible.
Lang also addressed the MBTA's fare transformation. He said MBTA Go and the contactless payment system were developed with Cubic technology and that the system uses encryption and modern security features; he told the committee the agency relies on partner agencies to verify income‑eligibility for discounted fares to avoid collecting sensitive financial data directly.
When asked about fiscal sensitivity to the governor's proposed funding, Lang said sustained, stable state support is needed to retain the workforce and continue progress; he said the agency is reviewing options to preserve service if budgets are altered but gave no specific spending cuts or service reductions.
