BOSTON (WHDH) - New footage obtained first by 7NEWS captures the moment a battery explosion on an Orange Line train at the Wellington Train Yard exploded, an event that would cause Orange and Red Line trains to be shut down on June 20.
Video shows sparks erupting from the undercarriage of the out-of-service train car.
MBTA officials stated that the explosion occurred due to an “out-of-range battery temperature reading” that caused the device to overheat and fail.
The incident caused service for the MBTA’s new Orange and Red Line trains to be suspended the next day. The event was just the latest in a parade of mechanical issues for the MBTA. Earlier that week, the MBTA announced that a supervisor was suspended after uncoupled cars of a Red Line train rolled through Braintree station in May.
According to the MBTA, the battery compartment controls the electrical equipment on the train and powers the lights, signs and communication equipment of the vehicle.
The MBTA released the new Orange and Red Line cars back into service on July 4, stating “a design change was made to increase airflow in the battery compartment and a modification to the temperature sensing circuitry was developed, implemented, and successfully tested last weekend.”
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