08/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/23/2024 09:51
Additional time required after an overnight accident involving track maintenance equipment.
The MBTA today announced that the current Red Line service suspension between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass will be extended one day through Monday, August 26, with train service resuming on Tuesday, August 27.
Due to an overnight accident involving track maintenance vehicles along the Longfellow Bridge, work was immediately stopped along the entire suspended service area to assess and ensure the safety of workers on site as well as the damage to both the work vehicles and the track infrastructure. Work resumed around 9:30 AM.
At about 12:30 AM, a construction vehicle made contact with another construction truck. The truck was then pushed into another construction vehicle. The incident occurred while crews were performing work during the current Red Line Track Improvement Program work.
The DPU and FTA were notified with MBTA Safety personnel dispatched to investigate. The operator of the first truck that was struck was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. The incident vehicle is out of service while the investigation advances. Investigators are working to determine the root cause of the incident.
While crews were able to resume work at 9:30 AM this morning, the overnight suspension of the work means an additional day of suspended Red Line service is needed to safely complete the project. The project involves full-depth track construction, rail replacement, tie replacement, surface line and tamping, and plate securing, among other critical work.
Free and accessible shuttle bus service will continue to be provided on Monday with full details on alternate service available at mbta.com/RedLine.
The MBTA understands the serious nature of this incident. The MBTA team is actively working alongside its oversight partners to understand why this incident occurred and take any additional proactive measures that are determined to make sure this incident does not happen again.
Understanding how challenging any service interruption is for riders, the MBTA apologizes for the need to extend this service suspension and continues to express its appreciation of riders' patience as this important Red Line work is completed correctly.