Green Line trolley operator suspended, derailment appears to be operator error

BOSTON (WHDH) - An MBTA train operator who was responsible for a Green Line trolley that derailed on Saturday has been formally suspended amid an investigation into the cause of the incident, officials said Monday.

More than 100 passengers were onboard the D Branch train from Kenmore Station to Fenway Station when it derailed in a tunnel near Kenmore Square around 11 a.m.

Eleven people, including the train operator, were injured. Fire officials said 10 people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Emergency crews could be seen taking the injured out of the tunnel on Stokes baskets.

MBTA Deputy General Manager Jeff Gonneville says the derailment was not caused by a mechanical or infrastructure issue but rather an apparent operator-related error.

“We have a pretty good understanding of what occurred during this accident,” Gonneville told reporters. “We know that obviously the track, the switch, and the vehicle itself were not a cause of this issue.”

About 150 passengers were evacuated from the derailed trolley and another 500 people were evacuated from other Green Line trains.

The operator, a 62-year-old man with three years of experience operating trains, will remain off the job pending the outcome of the investigation.

The train in question has since been moved to a maintenance facility.

Green Line service resumed Sunday morning.

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