BOSTON (WHDH) – A busy morning led to delays caused by bitter cold temperatures on the MBTA subway and commuter rail lines on Friday.
Cracked rails and broken switches were just some of the problems plaguing public transportation Friday morning. The Orange Line was hit hard by train troubles; a broken rail on the bridge over the Mystic River briefly stopped service between Wellington and Community College and passengers had to use buses. A disabled train at Tufts Medical Center also slowed the commute.
Steve Lyons, whose 30-minute commute took twice as long, said he is used to delays during the winter but was hoping that things would improve.
“They said they were getting ready for it earlier this season. Doesn’t seem like they prepared for it,” said Lyons.
In a statement, Commuter Rail operator Keolis said it took steps to try to avoid the problem. Among the precautions they took was storing trains in tunnels to shield them from the cold.
“Keolis and MBTA crews took preventive steps ahead of the drop in temperatures to reduce the impact, but with even the best precautions train service can be impacted with the extreme conditions we’re experiencing.”
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