Train service on part of the MBTA’s Red Line was halted for more than four hours Tuesday after a maintenance vehicle derailed and damaged the third track inside the Park Street Station in downtown Boston, the transit agency said.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reported the derailment at 5:47 a.m. and announced at 10:16 a.m. that repairs were complete and train service had resumed.
“MBTA apologizes to Red Line passengers affected by this morning’s incident involving a piece of track maintenance equipment,” Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman Joseph Pesaturo said via email. The incident led to the cancellation of trains between Broadway and Harvard Square stations.
The delays have frustrated riders, and some say the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s chronic problems could force them to abandon public transit.
Frankie Santana, 28, usually takes the Red Line to Cambridge and then takes a bus to his job in Watertown. But things don’t always go according to plan.
“When there are any delays or issues with the T, I’m not really surprised anymore,” he said. “I’m more surprised.” [if] “There are no problems these days.”
Santana said he tried using Uber as an alternative to the MBTA, but the cost was too high. With frequent subway delays, he is now considering giving up public transportation.
“I’ll probably start driving soon,” Santana said, and getting a car would solve his mobility problems “tremendously.”
At Park Street Station, some passengers rushed to board buses before realizing they had gotten on the wrong bus. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority staff were inundated with requests for help.
Didi Jones, 34, normally takes the Red Line to South Station and the commuter train to Route 128 in Westwood, where she takes a minibus to her office. On Tuesday, she had to pay for a carpool ride to South Station and hoped to be able to make the connections she needed. If she missed the minibus at Westwood, she said, it would be a 25-minute walk to her office.
“It’s ridiculous, it’s very inconvenient for us taxpayers, I really hate it,” she said.
No one was injured in the derailment, which occurred at 4:45 a.m. The employees were moving equipment and materials through the Red Line tunnel for use during the upcoming upgrades to Kendall and Alliwave stations, which are scheduled to begin Saturday and last for 16 days.
The MBTA recommends that passengers take the train from the JFK/UMass station in Dorchester to reach South Station or take the train from Porter Square and travel to North Station.
The disruption on the Red Line also caused other delays. During the height of the Red Line problems, delays of up to 25 minutes were reported on two Silver Line buses, from Nubian Square to South Station and from Nubian Square to the downtown crossing.
Red Line Update: Track repairs are complete, shuttle buses are being phased out. Regular service between Harvard and Broadway has resumed. https://t.co/zZQRuOKvKw
— MBTA (@MBTA) July 9, 2024
This is an evolving story.
Sabrina Lam can be reached at [email protected]. John R. Ellement can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @JREbosglobe.
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