Firefighters responded to a fire on the tracks between Downtown Crossing and Park Street reported around 9 a.m.

Power, of course, had to be shut off to let firefighters onto the tracks, causing delays for riders. The T rolled out shuttle buses for the trip between JFK and Harvard.

The Boston Fire Department reports some trash near some switching equipment caught fire.

Tom Bruno breaks the news:

MBTA counts loose change dropped onto subway tracks, announces $133.4 Billion surplus.

He adds that to avoid the 9.8% fee at the local CoinStar machine, they opted for a Stop & Shop gift card.

Amanda Wild forwarded this video from this morning's Red Line nonsense, adds:

The MBTA said today savings in everything from group insurance to electricity purchases mean fares will go up an average of 23% come July 1, rather than the far higher increases originally forecast.

However, the T is also counting on $51 million in savings that would require legislative approval, including $4 million in tort reform.

Although most riders will be spared the deep cuts initially proposed, the T said it will eliminate weekend service on the E line past Brigham Circle and on the Needham, Kingston/Plymouth and Greenbush commuter-rail lines. Eliminated entirely: The 48 Jamaica Plain Loop bus.

Ongoing allegations of drug activity & prostitution result in the Mayor's office pulling out the ol' Scarlet Letter. Bring back the stockade!

Dot rat Adam Myerson likes the Red Line so much, he had it permanently affixed to his leg. He reports it took four sessions at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in JP to get the whole thing - both train and the Fields Corner stop - on track.

More photos.

How else to explain what Brookline Selectwoman Jesse Mermell saw on the train home today?

New MBTA experience: Woman across from me changing her whole outfit on the train, including stockings. I'm torn between being appalled & impressed. I didn't have room to tweet about the full body lotion application. It was intense. No towel. Not even close. And there was extensive lotion application.

At various points this morning, the Green, Red and Blue lines all had problems due to dead trains (at Kenmore, Park and Bowdoin, respectively). No doubt feeling left out, the Orange Line this afternoon developed switch problems.

It was not, however, a rare perfect quadfecta - those only happen when all four lines shut down simultaneously.