BOSTON (WHDH) – A failed train motor led to a derailment on the Red Line Wednesday. The incident caused severe delays and left hundreds of commuters stranded before service resumed.
The motor on the last car of a six-car northbound train failed, causing it to derail at around 9:30 a.m., according to the MBTA. The derailment created smoky conditions inside the Andrew Square station.
One passenger on the train said a window on the train broke, sending shards of glass everywhere and passengers scrambling for safety.
“The back car bounced up in the air and the windshield windows broke out, there were a couple more bounces and it started a fire,” said John Orrison. Passenger Kyle Hemmingway said when the train car slammed back down on the tracks, he saw sparks flying outside the window.
The MBTA said an initial assessment found that about 300 feet of third rail was damaged.
Video from Sky7 showed hundreds of commuters stranded and waiting for shuttles during the morning and evening commutes while crews worked to restore service. Commuters finding alternate methods to get home said they were left waiting for Ubers and cabs.
“There was no communication in the train in terms of talking to passengers and saying what to do. The passengers got off the trains themselves and they were not told to get off the train. The driver was confused walking back and forth on the platform,” Orrison said.
MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez called the derailment a “serious incident.” No injuries were reported during the derailment.
Train service was suspended for about eight hours. It was restored just before 5:30 p.m. Shuttle buses operated in both directions along the Broadway, Andrew and JFK/UMass stops during the delay.
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