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Commuter rail

Bystanders help save lives of suicidal men in Roslindale, Dorchester, police say

By adamg - 10/10/19 - 3:37 pm

Boston Police are thanking bystanders who helped them save the lives of two men yesterday - one of whom was getting ready to throw himself in front of a Needham Line train in Roslindale, the other of whom was trying to throw himself from an overpass onto the Expressway in Dorchester. Read more.

State to buy more two-level coaches for commuter rail

By adamg - 9/23/19 - 5:15 pm

MassDOT reports the board that runs the T agreed to spend $345 million to buy 80 new bi-level coaches from Hyundai-Rotem - which will increase capacity on the entire commuter-rail system by about 14,000 seats a day once they all roll out and replace more of the single-level coaches still in use. Read more.

Two T 'ambassadors' prove saviors for man who lost wallet at Back Bay

By adamg - 9/17/19 - 12:03 pm
Mohammed and Jesus

Bad Ideas Inc. puts in a good word for two T "ambassadors" at Back Bay station, named Mohammed (on the left) and Jesus: Read more.

That thing Franklin Line riders dread: They have to go backwards to go ahead

By adamg - 9/16/19 - 5:51 pm

Todd Mulligan asks:

Did they just announce we will be going back inbound to Hyde park (from Readville)? And then outbound again, That can’t be right?

Read more.

Can anybody explain this dead commuter-line train?

By adamg - 9/9/19 - 9:54 am
People transferring from one train to another

Wonderfitzig was among the people who had to hop off inbound train 156 on the Newburyport/Rockport Line train and get on another after the engine sighed its last and went to the great roundhouse in the sky this morning near River Works - after their train just sat there for 90 minutes or so. Read more.

Something that will make you go 'yikes:' Worcester Line delayed by lightning strikes

By adamg - 9/4/19 - 10:19 pm

Lightning strikes fried the signal system along the Worcester Line early this evening and ever since trains have either had to go wicked late or were just canceled altogether, the T reports.

Sometimes, you want to know and you don't want to know

By adamg - 9/3/19 - 9:13 pm

Colin B was on the 593 train to Framingham this afternoon when the PA blared: "Does anyone have any dry cleaning? We need a coat hanger up at the head car."

Giant commuter-rail maintenance building on fire in Somerville

By adamg - 9/3/19 - 6:46 am

WHDH reports a train caught on fire inside the cavernous building and that the fire then spread to the roof.

Train hits and kills man on Fitchburg Line tracks in Leominster

By adamg - 9/2/19 - 1:01 pm

Around 11:10 a.m. by an inbound train, Transit Police reports. Mark Allen is on the train and reports:

Very somber feeling in the coach. A prayer for the victim and his family, and additionally, prayers for the crew of the train who are the first responders to these types of incidents.

Rockport Line riders in a funk; Beverly drawbridge seems drunk

By adamg - 8/29/19 - 5:38 pm

Claire Blechman reports the infamous Beverly drawbridge is stuck again, forcing Newburyport/Rockport Line passengers to abandon ship only to discover that Uber rates have gone into crisis mode.

Lowell Line commuters' rides now deterred, construction equipment stuck near tracks we heard

By adamg - 8/29/19 - 4:00 pm

An equipment malfunction at a Green Line Extension project in Somerville has forced the T to cancel all service on the Lowell Line between Anderson/Woburn and North Station today, MassDOT reports. Read more.

State starts looking into leasing electric locomotives for Providence Line

By adamg - 8/27/19 - 12:02 pm

CommonWealth Magazine reports Massachusetts and Rhode Island are looking to rent some locos from Amtrak as a way of providing faster, cleaner service between Boston and Providence. No timetable or any other specifics released.

No beating around the Greenbush: Commute from the south has turned to mush

By adamg - 8/26/19 - 8:57 am

Keolis reports Train 076, the 7:50 a.m. from Greenbush, will be an hour late into town due to the trifecta of "late arrival of equipment, crossing gate and signal issues."

Man hit and killed by commuter-rail train; second such death this week

By adamg - 8/22/19 - 10:00 am

Transit Police report a man on the Rockport Line tracks in Gloucester was hit and killed by a train around 6:20 a.m. Foul play is not suspected, police say.

On Monday, another man was hit and killed by a Fitchburg Line train.

Man struck and killed by inbound Fitchburg Line train in Belmont

By adamg - 8/19/19 - 8:01 am

Transit Police report a man, about 21, was hit on the tracks by a train at the Brighton Street crossing and was killed, around 6:20 a.m.

Grunting man arrested at Malden commuter-rail station because he was doing more than just grunting, police say

By adamg - 8/15/19 - 10:27 am
Everett man arrest

Transit Police report arresting an Everett man on a charge of open and gross lewdness on the Malden Center commuter-rail platform after, they say, people waiting on the neighboring Orange Line platform turned to see where some grunting sounds were coming from around 7:25 p.m. yesterday. Read more.

South Station now bears Mike Dukakis's name, but for the love of God, build the north/south link instead of expanding the station, he says

By adamg - 7/29/19 - 6:43 pm
Dukakis

At a Boston City Council hearing this afternoon on connecting commuter-rail lines that now end at North and South stations, former Gov. Mike Dukakis had a simple message: "Please kill any further work on South Station expansion; it's totally unnecessary." Read more.

Gauging on-time performance of commuter-rail lines and trains

By adamg - 7/29/19 - 9:48 am

Sharon Machlis grabbed a couple of months of commuter-rail performance data and created a site that lets you see on-time performance for lines and trains.

Providence Line locomotive gets a bit flamey; passengers evacuate as air turns gamey

By adamg - 7/25/19 - 8:50 pm
Flames from Providence Line locomotive

The fire-belching loco. Photo by KMV.

Passengers heading towards Providence had to evacuate their train in Canton Junction after the train experienced a "mechanical issue" that included the diesel belching fire, around 8 p.m. More flaming action.

No Saturday service on the Needham Line between August and mid-October

By adamg - 7/11/19 - 3:34 pm

MassDOT reports people who normally ride the Needham Line on Saturdays will have to find another way to get around between Aug. 3 and Oct. 12 to let workers install a "positive train control" system that will make the line safer by keeping trains from going too fast and reducing the odds they might crash into each other.

Preparation for the new system has included cutting down trees along the right of way in recent months.

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