2024 marks an important milestone for Keolis Commuter Services (KCS) as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary as the entrusted partner of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Looking back on the last decade I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together. Things were not easy in the beginning, but through our dedication, innovation, and expertise we have come a long way. 

Today we can proudly say that we are the best in the Nation in post pandemic ridership recovery, that we are providing the best on-time-performance in the history of the MBTA Commuter Rail, and that we are achieving all of this while offering innovative ideas about the future of this network.   

I believe that the secret to our success is the shared understanding that there is always more work to do. Our 2024-2025-2026 business plan Excellence in Every Journey is the roadmap for that work, clearly defining our goals and outlining where we want to go. This plan builds on our 2022-2023-2024 business plan, taking up the work that has been left outstanding. Excellence in Every Journey also follows the Keolis Way framework, organizing our goals into the four pillars: People, Partners, Planet and Passengers as well as our core fundamentals and enablers.  

I am particularly proud of the fact that Excellence in Every Journey was developed collectively and heavily influenced by your input and participation. More than 150 colleagues participated in workshops across the business to share and discuss our challenges and opportunities, and everyone’s ideas appear throughout. This plan truly belongs to each and every one of us, and shows us all how the role that we play in our daily work delivers our larger vision.  

In that spirit there are three things in this plan that I particularly want to highlight: 

First, Safety is part of everything we do and in this plan this fundamental is more important than ever. Throughout the course of this plan, we will work together to build a safety culture that inspires accountability and doesn’t allow complacency. We all have a responsibility to each other and to the people that we serve to build this safety culture. 

Second, Excellence in Every Journey also introduces our KCS Sustainability Plan, which states our sustainability goals and describes our programs and how they align with the 10 principles of the United Nations Compact. It also includes the acceleration in delivering our actions (such as Keodrive or our Idling reduction program) to reduce our carbon footprint but also in adapting and being more resilient to climate change impacts.  

Finally, we are now at a critical moment in our partnership with the MBTA. As we continue to deliver on our contract, we need to continue to demonstrate that we are more than a simple operator, that we are a trusted advisor, an ardent supporter, and an innovative leader who is the best possible partner for the future of the MBTA Commuter Rail. 

Thank you all for the work you have done to bring us to this point. Together we have laid a strong foundation and transformed this network into the jewel of the MBTA’s transportation system. Working together we can achieve the goals laid out in this business plan and secure our place in the future of Massachusetts.   

Thank you,

Abdellah Chajai

Chief Executive Officer