Amtrak won the contract for the MBTA Commuter Rail network in 1987, and held it for 16 years. While MBTA observers saw Amtrak as a reliable operator and manager, the relationship between MBTA and Amtrak was often rocky. Quibbles centered on equipment failures, crewing issues about the number of conductors per train, and responsibility for late trains. Because of these issues, and Amtrak's repeated statements that the MBTA contract was unreasonable, few were surprised at Amtrak's decision not to bid again when the contract expired in 2003.