Sen. Jamie Eldridge Says Commuter Rail Delays Highlight Need For Infrastructure Investment

BOSTON (CBS) -- There were big problems on the commuter rail Wednesday and State Sen. Jamie Eldridge knew early on that would make for a long day for a lot of people.

Switching issues caused delays and cancellations on numerous commuter rail lines Wednesday morning. Sen. Eldridge (D-Acton) said the latest round of what he called routine issues again highlights the state's need to invest in its infrastructure.

"I woke up around 6 a.m. this morning, checked my phone and social media and saw the posts and tweets about the Worcester commuter rail," Eldridge told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "People who are already going to miss their 8 or 9 a.m. meetings."

The issues on Wednesday spanned the Framingham, Worcester, Greenbush, and Kingston/Plymouth lines. For Eldridge's constituents though, he says issues on the Framingham/Worcester and Fitchburg lines are habitual. On Twitter, Eldridge sought answers.

Keolis, the company that runs the commuter rail, told Eldridge on social media switching issues began around 6 a.m. and were fixed as of 8:15 a.m. They apologized for the inconvenience, but Eldridge said it's just another sign legislators need to commit to investing in the infrastructure.

"At the end of the day, if we're not investing more money in the tracks, and the new cars, and the dispatch, I really don't think it's going to improve very much," he said.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports