CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - The MBTA Green Line train that derailed near Lechmere Station earlier this month was traveling more than three times the speed limit at the time, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB determined that on Oct. 1, at around 4:46 p.m., a Green Line train carrying about 50 passengers and two crewmembers left Lechmere Station and entered a 10-mph zone at 36 miles per hour.
The train then passed through a double red signal, which requires a stop, before reaching a switch that was still moving to direct the train into the diverging track, NTSB officials said.
“When the train passed over the switch, the lead truck of its leading railcar continued straight, while the next two trucks of that same railcar took the diverging track and then derailed,” the preliminary report said.
Seven passengers were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries, officials said. Train damage estimates were still being determined as of Wednesday.
The MBTA said Wednesday that the train operator “remains out of service” while the authority conducts its own investigation.
“The safety and well-being of MBTA riders and employees are of the utmost importance. The MBTA has been working aggressively to improve safety at all levels and has stepped up its focus on compliance with operating rules, including adherence to posted speed limits,” the MBTA said in a statement.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
“It’s disturbing, but you know, it’s one person, and they deal with the problem,” one T rider said.
“Hopefully, events like this will no longer be happened,” another said.
7News Transportation Security Expert Keith Millhouse said that many questions remain even after the initial report was released.
“It is kind of surprising in the sense that you wonder what the operator was doing or thinking going that fast and then running through two red signals,” Millhouse said.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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