The MBTA board today approved a $54-million plan to replace the diesel-powered trains on the Fairmount Line with more climate-friendly battery-operated cars within four years, which could mean almost subway-like train frequency - and some relief for Readville residents who live near the yard where diesels now loudly vibrate, hum - and have their horns blared - into the early morning hours. Read more.
Boston firefighters responded to South Station around 5:35 p.m. after somebody got on the outbound Red Line tracks at South Station and was hit by an incoming Red Line train. Read more.
The MBTA reports workers have fixed whatever was so wrong with the tracks at Cleveland Circle that it had to run buses along Beacon Street instead of trolleys.
That day started poorly on the Green Line, with the MBTA announcing delays due to "signal problems" at Government Center at 5:38 a.m. The T declared that issue fixed at 6:12 a.m., but then, at 7:35 a.m., upgraded (or is that downgraded?) the Government Center issue to "a track problem" severe enough to halt B and C service at Park Street. That short-stoppage is continuing. Read more.
A line of blue people waiting for the Blue Line at Government Center. Photo by Boston's Leslie Knopes.
A transformer at Orient Heights on the Blue Line blew this afternoon, bringing firefighters running and trains to a halt.
Boston firefighters responded around 5:50 p.m. and the MBTA shut down power in both directions. Firefighters then doused the flames. But delays due to problems related to the transformer continued through the evening; the T only announced at 9:15 p.m. that things were back to normal.
Sweltering riders can't get to the Kendall platform because it's already full of other sweltering passengers waiting for the Godot Line. Photo by Johnmcboston.
Yes, of course, on one of the hottest, most humid days of the year, a train would jam up the already partially not running Red Line by dying (of heat exhaustion?) at Downtown Crossing. Read more.
Transitadvocate highlights some of the trains on various lines out of South Station that were canceled yesterday because of "crew availability issues." Read more.
The MBTA announced today its long-awaited next-gen fare system - years late and now approaching $1 billion to install - begins Aug. 1 when T subway, trolley and bus riders will be able to board with a credit card, phone or even watch rather than having to have a CharlieCard in hand. Read more.
The MBTA says it's throwing open the fare gates at Red Line stations between 3 and 7 p.m. for the commuting disaster this morning caused when a maintenance vehicle derailed on the Alewife-bound tracks at Park Street, not just jamming up the tracks but damaging the third rail. Read more.
They'll be working on the railroad, all the live long day. Photo by Just Some Dude.
A roving UHub photographer couldn't help but notice the googly-eyed tyke in an ad on the B Line this morning.
Earlier:
Googly-eyed Green Line trolleys take to the tracks.
On Tuesday, Heshan de Silva-Weeramuni set off on a T odyssey to see if he could set a record for fastest time visiting every T stop in one day. Read more.
Update, 4:45 p.m. A test Red Line train just went through Savin Hill with no problems following repairs to the third rail and the fence.
A driver somehow managed to slam his SUV onto the outbound Red Line tracks from the parking lot at Savin Hill station early around 12:30 p.m., damaging part of the third rail and causing the shutdown of the line between JFK/UMass and Ashmont, as Just Some Dude shows us. Read more.
And he's off!
If you spot Heshan de Silva-Weeramuni on the T today, say hi, but understand if he doesn't have time to chat: He's on a race to see if he can set a record for the fastest time ever for visiting all T subway stops in one day. Read more.
At 1:13 a.m., HoofbeatsEqualZebra, who lives in Readville, reported that an engineer on a commuter-rail or CSX diesel in one of the Readville train yards had blared his air horn more than 60 times. Yes, of course he counted, what else are you going to do at 1:13 in the morning with an air horn blasting through your house? Read more.
A Michigan woman who says she still suffers severe pain from being tossed to the commuter-rail platform at Back Bay by an escalator that suddenly went into reverse in 2021 last week filed the latest suit against the MBTA and Kone, Inc. over the disaster. Read more.
Boston firefighters responded to the outbound side of the Jackson Square Orange Line station around 12:30 p.m. on a report of a person under the train. Read more.
A couple of months ago, some T riders asked the T to slap some googly eyes on the front of Green Line trolleys. Today, the T gave the people what they want: Googly eyes on Green Line trolleys - if not all of them, at least five, now roaming around the Green Line, such as this crazy-eyed trolley making the crazy turn at crazy Packards Corner in Allston. Read more.
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