New South Station fare gates taken out of service due to snowstorm

Keolis and the company it bought the new South Station fare gates from are developing a long-term plan that will allow the commuter rail fare-collectors they installed to actually work in the locations chosen for them last year.

The fare gates have been offline for about a week and as of Monday were wrapped in tarps and plastic, steps that Keolis said it had to take as a result of “unprecedented accumulation of wind-driven snow in the concourse and platform areas of South Station” during a Jan. 25-26 snowstorm that was the first big storm this winter.

Keolis said Monday night that it was working with Scheidt & Bachmann to determine what impact the snow had on the fare gates and to formalize a plan that will let the gates — which were installed last fall and became operational on Dec. 30 — function reliably in the locations they were installed.

“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,” the Keolis statement said. “Keolis and Scheidt & Bachmann are assessing the impacts from the snow and taking necessary actions to return the gates to service.”

The fare gates are located outside, under the new residential and office tower being built on top of the station. While they are under cover, they are exposed to the bitter cold that has also slowed some of the T’s train and subway operations over the last week. 

Boston’s South Station features 40 gates around the concourse area, and they cost about $3.3 million between the equipment and installation, the T told the Boston Globe.

Some of the gates are closer to the elements than others. Keolis said it shut down and covered the fare gates at the northeastern edge of the platforms ahead of the storm to protect them, but it became evident during the storm that all gates would be affected.

As Keolis works on a long-term plan for the South Station fare gates, it is also vying alongside two other companies for the next nine-year contract to operate the T’s commuter rail system. Keolis has operated the system since 2014 and is working through June 30, 2027 on an extended contract.