BOSTON (WHDH) - Unlike last weekend’s Green Line derailment, the Red Line train that derailed Tuesday morning near the JFK/UMass station was not the result of operator error, the head of the MBTA said Friday.
“Right now we are able to rule out any signs of foul play or operator error,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak told reporters,
The third car of a Red Line train went off the tracks at an above-ground stop near the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts and the John F. Kennedy presidential library around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
A team of over 150 people have repaired all damage to the third rail, power systems, and a significant amount of track but badly banged up signal bungalows have not yet been fixed, according to Poftak.
“Our longer-term challenge is rebuilding the signal system,” he said. “We are assessing how long it will take to fix. Three signal bungalows were affected and at least one of them was almost entirely wiped out.”
Signal bungalows house vital hardware and equipment that controls the intricate system of the track, signals, and switches where the Ashmont and Braintree branches diverge on the Red Line.
About 60 passengers were evacuated from the derailed car, authorities said.
Poftak says the derailed car was built in 1969, overhauled in the ’80s, equipped with new wheels in 2014, and last inspected on May 3. MBTA crews used chainsaws and a crane to upright and move it late Wednesday night.
Riders are still being urged to tack on an extra 15-20 minutes to their commute because trains are not running at typical speeds.
While repairs continue, southbound passengers desiring Braintree service will still need to switch trains at JFK/UMass. The same goes for northbound passengers coming from Braintree.
Southbound passengers desiring Braintree service, will still need to switch trains at JFK/UMass – same with northbound passengers coming from Braintree. This will continue as repairs are made to the signal system.
— MBTA (@MBTA) June 14, 2019
Poftak also apologized to the public for the frustrating week.
“This is unacceptable and we apologize for the inconvenience during the commute this week,” he said. “I’d like to thank our customers for their patience.”
Poftak says $8.3 billion will be invested into the MBTA over the next five years, which will bring new cars and signal upgrades to the Red Line, among many other things.
It’s not clear when regular service will resume. The MBTA plans to run test trains in the affected area this weekend with the hope of restoring one-seat service to Braintree on Monday.
“This is unacceptable and we apologize for the inconvenience during the commute this week,” Poftak said.
The Red Line derailment came days after a crowded Green Line trolley derailed below ground near Kenmore Square, sending 10 people to hospitals and requiring police and firefighters to guide passengers to safety through a darkened tunnel.
The trolley operator has been formally suspended amid an investigation.
Poftak stressed there was no connection between Tuesday’s derailment and the one on Saturday.
Both derailments are under investigation.
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