Working on the wires at JFK/UMass. Photo by MBTA.
With repairs to the destroyed JFK/UMass signal bungalows continuing apace, the MBTA announced today it hopes to restore fully automated signaling between JFK/UMass and Broadway by Aug. 15, which should cut five minutes off the longer Red Line commutes. Read more.
WBZ reports on the incident last night. The sound made at least one person think somebody was firing a gun and told that to Transit Police, which sent cruisers rushing to the scene, but by the time they got there, the hammer guy was gone.
Damaged signal equipment at JFK/UMass a week ago.
The MBTA says that fully restoring the signaling equipment destroyed in the June 11 derailment at JFK/UMass will likely take until at least Labor Day, so that means riders will continue to need to allow extra time for their commutes. Read more.
The MBTA is advising Red Line riders to leave an extra 20 minutes or so to get where they're going tomorrow because of the ongoing signal issues at JFK/UMass left over from the derailment last week.
UPDATE: The T now reports: "As of Sunday, June 16, Braintree branch riders will no longer need to switch trains at JFK/UMass."
As promised, the MBTA sent test trains down the repaired Red Line track at JFK/UMass today to see if it's ready for service on Monday. Only they ran into a problem that had nothing to do with the track: One of the test trains suffered mechanical problems and died - which led to 20-minute delays along the Braintree branch.
Working on the tracks at JFK/UMass this afternoon.
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said this afternoon he hopes the T can restore "single seat" service to and from Braintree on the Red Line by Monday, but that a final decision will be made late Sunday afternoon, after a series of test runs by trains over the track that was damaged - along with the third rail and switch - by a train that derailed on Tuesday. Read more.
From his seat on a commuter-rail train, Jed Hresko got a good view of the work this morning to repair the signal bungalows and tracks at JFK/UMass that were damaged in the Red Line derailment on Tuesday. Read more.
The MBTA says repairs are continuing on the tracks and signal systems taken out in Tuesday's derailment but say they won't know until this weekend when they might be able to resume direct Braintree service.
The MBTA will provide a schedule update on Sunday regarding resumption of Braintree branch service resuming through JFK/UMass.
The MBTA reports that riders on the Red Line's Braintree branch will continue to have to change trains at JFK/UMass if they don't follow T advice and take commuter rail instead, because of ongoing problems caused by the derailment yesterday. Read more.
The car that derailed damaged signal equipment at JFK/UMass. Photo via MassDOT.
The MBTA reports it'll be shutting the subway line down at 11 a.m. to try to make signal repairs related to the derailment yesterday: Read more.
State Police report the ramps to and from the expressway at Exit 15 (Columbia Point) will be shut at 7 p.m. so workers can try to do something about that derailed Red Line train at JFK/UMass. When will they reopen? State Police say your guess is as good as theirs.
Video of my @MBTA_CR just now crawling through JFK/UMass pic.twitter.com/9Ok6pLbHax
— Nicole Eigbrett (@nicolewhaat) June 11, 2019
Derailed Red Line train. Photo by BFD.
The Boston Fire Department reports evacuating 60 people from an outbound Braintree train that derailed at JFK/UMass around 6:10 a.m. Read more.
This is smoke billowing out of MBTA tunnel from Andrew. pic.twitter.com/nFa0Kga12p
— Kyle Thomas (@khemingway) October 25, 2018
The Red Line outbound is dead at Andrew Square due to what the T is calling a "power problem" - dead enough to try to get shuttle buses running between Park Street and Ashmont.
Thomas reports he was on the last car of a train around 11 p.m.:
We were evacuated in a hurry by an official who said the train was on fire, then corrected himself by saying there was a fire in front of the train.
Boston firefighters reported a fire near the tracks off Von Hillern Street.
The MBTA reports 25-minute delays on the Red Line due to a northbound train that gave up the ghost outside the station. A train behind it got up close and began pushing it into the station.
Joe Murphy reports an inbound Red Line train was summarily dismissed from service at JFK/UMass around 8:30 a.m.
The Globe reports foul play not suspected in the death of a man whose body was found on the grounds of the station around 5:30 a.m. The station has since re-opened.
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