Around 10:40 p.m., Boston and Transit Police officers rushed to the area of the Jackson Square Orange Line station when a suspect driving a stolen car got out, climbed up an electrical tower, then down to the station. Read more.
Jill was at Back Bay just in time for a track fire around 5:15 p.m.
Shnoox got a closer look at the firefighters who arrived: Read more.
The T's just issued an alert that starting Sept. 3, Forest Hills will be down to just one track due to the Arborway project - which includes building a new station entrance and pedestrian tunnels to it under the new road. The T says two-track operation should resume in December.
A train bought its last produce at Haymarket this rush hour and now riders heading towards Oak Grove are wondering if they'll ever return.
Red Line? What's that? You'll take buses and you'll like it. Screen capture by Nat V.
Seems that this morning, if you try to use Google Maps to plot out a trip via public transit in Boston, you'll get back an itinerary that involves buses and the Green Line - the Orange, Red and Blue lines are now dead to the mapping service. Read more.
Sullivan Square didn't always feel like a depressing afterthought to the construction of an interstate in the middle of a horrible rotary. The original station, built at the turn of the last century, featured a soaring vaulted ceiling, elegant architectural touches - and tracks for trolleys. Remember trolleys? The only thing it didn't have was Donut and Donuts. Read more.
The Boston Fire Department has asked for power to be shut in both directions at Massachusetts Avenue due to a track fire.
UPDATE: Trash fire on the tracks extinguished at 12:35 p.m.
Transit Police evacuated an outbound train at Haymarket shortly before 6 p.m.: Read more.
State House News Service reports 55 congressmen want the Treasury department to investigate the way a Chinese company won the bid to build new Red Line and Orange Line trains, in part because of allegations it was able to submit a low-ball bid due to Chinese government subsidies, in part because they worry about the Chinese gaining access to critical national infrastructure, such as rail lines. Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Somerville) did not sign on, saying he wants to learn more first.
The T is warning of the dreaded "severe" delays on the Orange Line inbound from Oak Grove due to a train that needs to be taken out back and shot at Assembly Square. It's so bad, the T is telling people to take the Green Line between North Station and Back Bay, assuming they can get to North Station to begin with, that is.
It's not just that the new subway cars CSR Sifang delivered to Singapore have cracks in them, but that it could take up to seven years to fix the damage.
However, the cars in question were built by CSR in China, while our new Red Line and Orange Line trains, to be delivered by 2022, will be built in Springfield.
H/t Bob.
Todd Consentino attended a MassDOT update session on the Casey Overpass/Forest Hills rehab project tonight and reports that the work has fallen a year behind schedule: Three months due to the inability to work under the mega snowpiles of 2015 and now nine months because the state is having problems buying six ceiling-mounted "jet fans" to ventilate and cool the Orange Line tunnel under the new ground-level Arborway. Read more.
The T posted a couple photos today of the Springfield site where a Chinese company is building a factory that will build new Orange Line and Red Line cars, which are expected to roll out between late 2018 and 2022.
Power shut, riders put on shuttle buses, expect delays.
UPDATE, 2:40 p.m. The T reported service has resumed, with "moderate" delays.
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
