The MBTA has balanced its operating budget for the first time in 10 years, agency officials say.

MBTA officials say getting rid of it will help them with their trust deficit with riders frustrated as they face the varying levels of service they encounter throughout the system.

The fiscal year that ended in June was projected to carry a $30 million deficit within the MBTA's $2 billion operating budget. But with the books closed on fiscal year 2018, officials with the public transit agency say that deficit is gone, through cost controls and revenue growth, despite declining ridership.

The victory lap could be short-lived since the next fiscal year just started - FY 2019 began in July 2018 - and could end with a return of what they call a structural deficit.

"The T is still facing strong fiscal headwinds on both the cost and revenue side of the ledger," outgoing MBTA chief administrator Michael Abramo told reporters.

Abramo pointed to the five-member fiscal control and management board, installed after a series of harsh winter storms in 2015 that forced the MBTA to shut down and wrestle with problems throughout the ancient transit system.

"You know, when we started down this road three years ago, we were looking at ever-growing deficits, and worse, many people felt this was the way it had to be, spiraling deficits into the indefinite future," he said. "That's no way to run a transit system."

In their telling, T officials bent the cost curve through a 30 percent reduction in corporate and administrative positions, a voluntary retirement incentive plan, and the use of the private sector to handle cash-handling and warehouse, the call center and in-station customer service. Agency administrators also re-negotiated union contracts with the carmen and machinists.

There was also a fare increase that went into effect in 2016. (Another one could be on the way: The MBTA board delayed discussions about another increase until next year.)

While commuter rail revenue grew $7.5 million in fiscal year 2018, the rest of the system is down $5.5 million. "So what we're seeing a decline in ridership," Abramo said, though T officials add that the rate of decline has slowed.

Asked about the trust deficit with riders, Abramo noted the T has hired Danny Levy, a marketing professional who previously worked at the Mass. Port Authority, in the new job of chief customer officer.

Abramo added that he thinks of the T's turnaround in phases.

"We're closing the book on Phase 1, with a balanced budget in FY18. And one of the things I've said to the folks in the team, this was the 'brute force' [effort to] get to stable, right?" he said. "And once we get to stable, we can then focus on the investment and making things better and making it long-term sustainable."

The next phase will involve deploying capital spending on improving customer experience and continued reductions in the backlog of maintenance issues, Abramo added.