Keolis Confirms South Station Fare Gates Taken Out of Service Following Winter Storm

Commuter Rail fare gates at Boston's South Station are out of service, nearly one month after they officially debuted, a Keolis spokesperson confirmed.

NewsCenter 5 Boston reported that photos taken on Monday, Feb. 2, confirm that the gates were seen wrapped in plastic.

“The South Station fare gates were taken out of service last week in the wake of a major winter storm that delivered heavy snow accumulations and bitter cold temperatures. Keolis and Scheidt & Bachmann are assessing the impacts from the snow and taking necessary actions to return the gates to service,” said Jake O'Neill, Keolis manager of media relations and public affairs. O'Neill did not provide further details on when the gates would be reactivated. 

The Boston Globe noted that Keolis did not clarify what prevented the gates from functioning in the severe winter weather, nor why the operating difficulties were not accounted for, given Boston's cold climate. According to NewsCenter 5, when the gates were first installed, commuters encountered several glitches.

The T stated that the South Station fare gates cost about $1.3 million to purchase from Scheidt & Bachmann, and an additional $2 million to install.

Plans to install fare gates at the Back Bay and Ruggles stations later this year are still underway.