Commuter rail operator to move North American HQ to Boston
Keolis Commuter Services took over MBTA operations in 2014.
Keolis, the French company contracted to operate the MBTA’s commuter rail service, is moving its North American headquarters to Boston.
The move will occur at some point in 2016, said Mac Daniel, a spokesman for Keolis Commuter Services, the company division that runs the commuter rail. Daniel said Keolis North America’s move will bring a small team of “10 to 20’’ executive-level employees to the city from its current Virginia office.
It is not yet decided whether they will work in the existing Boston office on Atlantic Avenue or set up shop in another office, Daniel said. Keolis’s Boston office currently employs between 100 and 150 people, with some employees occasionally moving from office to office, he said.
“The rationale behind the move is [that] corporate offices wanted to be closer to the largest contract in North America,’’ Daniel said.
Keolis Commuter Services took over commuter rail operations in 2014 on an eight-year contract. It has faced some criticism for on-time rates and its performance during and after last year’s snow. On-time performance improved in recent months after Keolis sustained fines from the T.
The company has also reportedly struggled financially with the commuter rail so far, losing about $20 million in the first six months of 2015, according to a Boston Globe report in October. At the time, Keolis cited repair costs due to the age of the commuter rail’s equipment.
Daniel said the corporate move to Boston isn’t expected to have an effect on commuter rail operations.
“Just a corporate move,’’ he said.
Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack first announced the move at a state transportation meeting Wednesday afternoon. She said the move should help improve commuter rail service.
Keolis North America also operates in Virginia, Florida, Nevada, California, and Ontario, Canada, according to its website.
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