MBTA: Equipment derailment on Red Line caused damage to third rail

Litsa Pappas
·2 min read

The MBTA says they’re following all orders from the Federal Transit Administration to make trains and tracks safer.

That’s part of the reason why they’re doing maintenance on the Red Line tracks overnight this week and next week, but while doing so, there was another derailment Tuesday morning.

The MBTA says a piece of construction equipment derailed on the Red Line near Quincy Center just after 1 a.m. That derailment caused damage to the third track, but luckily no one was hurt, and they were able to fix the rail within a few hours.

“It makes me a little bit nervous just because so many people rely on it and like it’s just disappointing to me,” said Nina, an MBTA rider.

The MBTA provided shuttle buses for riders while that rail was getting fixed, but a lot of commuters say they’re getting tired of the bus alternative.

“So if they got buses running, I’m automatically late for work. That’s not good for work, especially when I’m the guy who opens the door, unlock everything, you know, so that’s not good. I really think they need to fix that,” said Kenneth LaVan, who rides the Red Line.

Just a few days ago, the Federal Transit Administration ordered MBTA employees to attend a new safety briefing before returning to work this week.

This comes after a few runaway trains on the Red Line recently.

The FTA found significant safety issues with the MBTA overall in a report released in May, which showed staffing shortages with overworked employees.

“I’m not like panicking, I’m just cautious I would say. I’m still taking the train, it’s not stopping me from taking the train, I’m just kind of watching the news and being cautious,” said Nina.

The MBTA says they know these diversions with the shuttle buses can be frustrating, but ultimately the work they’re doing on the Red Line now is supposed to speed up travel times for the Braintree branch.

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