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New Commuter Rail fare gates at South Station break down again
The fare gates have now been closed twice due to harsh winter conditions since they opened late last year.
The new Commuter Rail fare gates at South Station have been open for less than two months, but they are already proving to pose a problem for commuters.
The MBTA opened the fare gates late last year as part of a crackdown on fare evasion. During their first few weeks in operation, they have had mixed success rates, much to the frustration of travelers in a hurry.
Though the MBTA has worked to keep the gates in service, they have not fared well in Boston’s frigid winter months. After a major winter storm in late January caused large amounts of snow to gather in the concourse area of South Station, the gates were shut down and wrapped up to shield them from the elements.
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The fare gates were out of service for more than a week and were eventually reopened Feb. 4. However, some of the gates are now closed off again, according to NBC 10.
It turns out that snow is not the only environmental factor to take a toll on the gates. The bitterly cold winter wind has also had an impact, according to Keolis, the Commuter Rail’s operator.
“At South Station, the gates were designed and positioned in consideration of weather impacts,” a Keolis spokesperson said in a statement. “However, recent storms have demonstrated that wind is a significant environmental factor in the new space at South Station, and alternative options to the gate covers are being assessed to protect the equipment from wind-driven rain and snow.”
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In the meantime, the affected gates will be covered for their protection, but the rest of them will remain open, according to the spokesperson. They did not provide a timeline on when all the gates will be open again.
The fare gates reportedly cost about $1.3 million to purchase from systems company Scheidt & Bachmann and another $2 million to install. The MBTA has said that they hope the investment will pay off long-term, and despite repeated shutdowns, they seem to be successfully combating fare evasion so far.
“Since the South Station gates were opened, mTicket activations among passengers traveling to or from South Station are up 42% compared to the same period last year,” the Keolis spokesperson said.
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