MBTA shortlists three potential commuter rail operators

Three groups are on the short list to potentially become the MBTA's next commuter rail operator.

The T in late December issued a request for proposals to three collectives of transit operators that could take over the operation and maintenance of the sprawling rail system. Keolis Commuter Services has done so since 2014 and is working through June 30, 2027 on an extended contract.

"Beginning this month, the MBTA will engage with each entity as part of a competitive dialogue process, ensuring that the final contract will elicit competitive bids and provide value to the Commonwealth. The bidders will also spend this nine-month period conducting due diligence," the T wrote in an online post last month.

The duration of the upcoming contract is nine base years and five option years, according to the agency. The T won't know the final value of the contract until the bids are complete, though the current contract with Keolis is worth approximately $5 billion when considering its base eight years and five extension years.

The short list of qualified bidders includes the duo of Keolis America Inc. and Alstom Transport USA Inc., the manufacturer of Amtrak's NextGen Acela train cars and subsidiary of French company Alstom S.A.

Another group dubbed "Mass Regional Rail" is a consortium of Alternate Concepts Inc. (ACI), TransitAmerica Services Inc. and French company RATP Développement S.A. Existing rail clients of Boston-headquartered ACI include the Puerto Rico Highway Transportation Authority, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Maryland Transit Administration and New Jersey Transit. TransitAmerica is a subsidiary of Herzog Transit Services, Inc., which calls itself "the largest private passenger rail operations and maintenance (O&M) provider in the U.S."

A third group includes Transdev North America, Inc. — which calls itself "the largest private operator and integrator of multiple modes of public transportation in the United States" — and private, United Kingdom-based operator Transport UK Holdings Limited.

The T said the contract scope includes parking operations, along with "delivering and operating Fairmount Line decarbonized battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) service" and upgrading the legacy rail system to modern, high-frequency regional rail service.

About a year ago, the T's head of commuter rail said the next contract "will deliver improved frequency across the network and will advance the objectives of regional rail modernization."

The commuter rail's average weekday ridership as of October 2025 sat at just over 104,000 people, accounting for 11% of total MBTA weekday riders across all modes.

"A wide range of redeveloped performance indicators will incentivize excellence in performance, customer service, fare collection, and capital investment while driving continuous improvement," the T wrote. "The current procurement process is aimed at identifying a partner who can collaborate with the MBTA on delivering this vision."

Final proposals will be submitted to the T in the fall of 2026, and the agency plans to select one by the end of the year "to allow sufficient time for the new operator to mobilize before taking over responsibility for the service."

The RFP is the second step of a two-step procurement process for the selection of the next commuter rail operator, the agency said. The process began with a request for qualifications issued in July. The T received statements of qualifications in October and issued the RFP to the three groups on Dec. 17, 2025.