Red Line

In 2013, the Red Line is now 3 for 3 for morning delays, this time due to signal problems at North Quincy.

The Green Line also had problems, outbound on the B branch, due to a dead train.

They've been workin' on the railroad at Central. Photo by MBTA.

UPDATE: The T reports service resumed around 2:10 p.m., with, of course, residual delays.

Ruddy S. reports a broken rail. The T says it's now busing between Kendall and Harvard.

Dani B., who took the photo below, tweets:

One lousy bus waiting for us at Kendall #shocker

Red turns yellow at Kendall.

UPDATE: A second Red Line train died at Alewife; another Green Line trolley gave up the ghost, bollxing up outbound C and E service. Commuter rail? You don't want to know.

In this young year, the Red Line is now 2 for 2 in morning-commute delays due to dead trains, this time at JFK/UMass, but today has the extra bonus of delays due to "weather-related issues."

Meghan C. reports it took her 75 minutes to get from Braintree to MGH.

The Green Line was also having problems, due to a recalcitrant train at Kenmore. There was also a dead train on the Blue Line.

It was a different story on the Orange Line. At 7:24, Joe Growhoski tweeted:

Orange line nice warm and smooth ..... So far

Dead train at Broadway and those residual delays just killed the last part of the morning commute. Erika Gordon reports on how she and some fellow commuters put their left foot in, they put their left foot out, they put their left foot in and they shook it all about:

And now we're playing musical trains. "Everyone get off of the train, there's a problem." "Alright, everyone back on, we fixed it."

At Davis, Adam Schmucker tweets:

Announcement at Davis "delays due to disabled train at Broadway." Performer on platform is singing "On Broadway."

MBTA Transit Police are looking for five teens for attacking a disabled 16-year-old outside the CharlieCard store at Downtown Crossing around 4:20 p.m. today. If caught, they'll be facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon - a shod foot.

The victim declined medical attention and was escorted to his Orange Line train. According to police, he got off an Ashmont train and was heading to the Orange Line when he was set upon.

All five suspects are black, between 16 and 19. Four are male; one female. The main attacker was described as 5'5" and about 140 lbs, wearing a gray Hollister California sweatshirt; the female as wearing a purple parka and green pants. Police searched the area for the group without success.

Casey Shockley shows off his rendition of the Red Line at the Andrew-JFK/UMass tunnel, done a year ago at Karma Tattoo in Somerville. He explains he used to live in the Polish Triangle in Dorchester. See it larger.

He joins Dot rat Adam Myerson, who has the Ashmont line on his leg (more) and Josh DeCosta, who has the Orange Line at Sullivan Square on his arm.

Kaitlin Maud, meanwhile, has the entire MBTA map on her arm - both subway and commuter rail (in the photo, north is at the bottom, Green Line on the right):

MBTA Transit Police report a Red Line rider and her cash were reunited this holiday season thanks to an honest fellow passenger.

Last Friday afternoon, police say, a guy on his way into town who was about to sit down at JFK/UMass started to move what he thought was some trash on the seat:

In doing so he noticed a five dollar bill protruding from the envelope. He then looked inside, the envelope was filled with cash. Unfortunately there was nothing to identify who the money belonged to. The gentleman asked all passengers within proximity if the envelope was theirs, NOT one MBTA patron attempted to falsely claim the money as theirs. The gentleman got off at South Station and immediately sought out police and handed over the envelope. The envelope contained $584.

On Tuesday, police continue:

[T]he rightful owner, a house keeper at a local hotel and a resident of Dorchester, came to Transit Police HQ, identified certain distinct aspects of the envelope the US Currency was in when lost and they were reunited with their hard earned money.

Didn't think so. As one rider put it:

At Davis starting at an Alewife train sitting in the tunnel. MBTA you sure know how to suck the happy out of a morning.

On Alewife side of the Red Line at Downtown Crossing around 8 a.m., Rob Grover and Kaitlin Milliot report. Milliot reports cops were quickly on scene to deal with the guy, who started yelling at them, as the woman stood there crying.

A Boston man suffered serious injuries when hit by an inbound Red Line train at North Quincy around 12:15 a.m., according to MBTA Transit Police, who report they are still investigating how he wound up on the tracks:

The male, approximately 44 years of age who resides in Boston, was lying face down with his right arm extended onto the right of way/track bed area. The motorperson upon observing the male immediately put the train into emergency stop. The train made contact with the male and he had to be extricated from underneath the train by the Quincy Fire Department. The male party was transported to Boston Medical Center with severe upper torso trama and underwent surgery. Currently the male is listed in critical condition.

Neil the roving UHub commuter e-mails this account:

Keryn Egan reports the T had to take a train out of service at Broadway around 5:30 p.m. when a pack of 12-year-olds kicked out a window. She adds one of the doltlings almost followed the window out of the train. All together now: Awww.

Boston Police report they are looking for a guy who is robbing women coming out of the JFK/UMass, Savin Hill, Shawmut and Ashmont T stop between 7 and 10:30 p.m.

In some of the incidents, the suspect, described as a black male with a thin build, age 20-30, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and showed a handgun. The male suspect has engaged victims in a brief conversation before demanding money.

Sooz thought it was, until she noticed the woman burning incense. As she concludes: "WTF."

Monday, Andrew station, a whole ten days after somebody else fell on the tracks at Broadway.

Tuesday night, MBTA Transit Police had to dispatch officers to Andrew to deal with an angry man threatening other passengers with a plunger. Yesterday, police dispatched officers to the Red Line station to deal with a naked man (photo NSFW if you squint or have a decent sized monitor).

Rob Watson photographed a "vaguely foreboding owl hanging out" above a Park Street exit tonight. A very real and alive, if vaguely foreboding, owl, he assures us.

The T forwards this video of the woman who fell onto the tracks at Broadway on Saturday afternoon, causing delays on northbound trains. According to a Transit Police report:

I interviewed a witness, who stated that prior to the incident, he observed her standing on the platform and "nodding." While "nodding", she moved closer and closer to the pit. He believed that she was going to fall into the pit and moved towards her in an attempted to grab a hold of her, but he did not get to her in time. He stated she fell into the pit, and landed with her right hip on the first rail. He then immediately entered the pit to assist her. I also spoke to two other witnesses on scene. Both stated that prior to the incident, she appeared to be stumbling around the platform. She moved closer to the yellow line, then fell into the pit.

The 29-year-old woman was conscious but "lethargic" when taken to the hospital by Boston EMS.

Amy Derjue reports from North Quincy this afternoon, where there is no Red Line service because of a person in the pit to the north - but she reports the person was scooped out off the tracks pretty quickly, so there is hope yet.

At 3:47 p.m., Eric Steinhardt tweeted:

2 ambulances & 2 fire trucks. Person on stretcher at bottom of stairs. Carrying her up now.

MBTA Transit Police report arresting a man they say tried to piggyback a plainclothes cop into Park Street around 11 this morning.

As the officer was stepping through the fare gates he observed a male, later identified as Michael Cammisaro, 57 of Waltham, MA. attempting to "piggyback" in behind him without paying his fare. The officer stopped and inquired what Cammisaro was trying to do, Cammisaro responded by shouting "MOVE, MOVE MOVE !". Then Cammisaro proceeded to physically assault the officer by shoving him with both hands and attempt to force him through the fare gates. The officer and Cammisaro struggled, the officer was able to gain control of Cammisaro and cease the assault.

He now faces a charge of assault and battery.

Innocent, etc.

Robby snapped this photo of a cat on the Red Line this evening. A cat in a stroller. A big-ass stroller, apparently. He tweeted:

What's wrong with this picture? Many things ...

Another commuter, AH, also took to Twitter, around 6:20 p.m. and was more specific:

Lady with a cat in full-sized/meant for children stroller preventing me and 8 other saps from going on T. #wtf #catbitch #mbta

Ah, but the cat owner tweets, too. In fact, Coco Koh has blogged about her adventures on the T with Jacoby the Abyssinian. So she tweeted right back:

FYI snippy woman on the Red Line: cats (& dogs) ARE allowed on #mbta as long as they're properly contained!!!

MzKeating chimed in:

[H]ave you ever tried to get a cat to walk on a leash?

Robby answered:

No, that sounds ridiculous. That was her rationale as well, along with cat does not like the escalator. ... Let's recap, cat, stroller, peak hours, capacity train. No, still not reasonable. Thing was gigantic.

Keep up to the minute by doing a Twitter search on #strollercat.

MBTA Transit Police say they know who attacked two women at the Quincy Center T stop on Oct. 8 - now they have to find him.

The Herald reports he punched one woman in the nose hard enough to break it and hit the other. Police say the man was angered when they declined his offer to give him money around 10:50 p.m.

Police add:

Working in conjunction with the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, Transit Police will continue the investigation and take appropriate steps to ensure the subject is held responsible for his actions.

MBTA Transit Police report arresting a Roxbury man on charges he indecently assaulted a woman around 11 a.m. on Sept. 28 at Shawmut and then another woman around 9 a.m. on Oct. 2 at Andrew.

Police say Xavier Wyatt, 19, grabbed the first woman as she standing on the platform and the second woman as she was getting on a train. He was arrested this morning at Community College on the Orange Line.

Innocent, etc.

Ernest Watkins IV was arraigned today on charges he stabbed a man to death outside the Fields Corner T stop last week. Watkins is 14.

Watkins was among a group of four people spotted attacking Cherby LaJoie around 1:15 a.m. on Oct. 6, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. MBTA surveillance footage shows the four entered the T stop - one jumping a gate after his CharlieCard wouldn't work - then fled out an emergency exit, the DA's office says.

A Minnesota visitor who fell on the Red Line tracks at Kendall Square last night was helped out by other passengers, the MBTA reports. According to an MBTA Transit Police report on the incident, shortly before 7 p.m.:

[The woman's husband] stated they were talking with some friends on the inbound platform and [she] was walking backward. He stated that she continued to walk backward into the pit and fell into it. He then jumped into the pit to help get her out and other passengers assisted in lifting her onto the platform. [She] reported injury to the neck, hips, and dizziness.