MORE TROLLEY TROUBLES
Green Line derailment the latest to hit MBTA
The MBTA is blaming a Green Line derailment Tuesday on a rookie operator who put a train into motion before he had a signal to proceed, causing a D branch trolley to jump off the track at Riverside station.
There were no injuries. “The train’s operator did not have the signal system’s authorization to proceed,” said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.
“By not allowing the track switch to be properly aligned, the second car of the train came off the rails. The train’s operator, who was hired in March of this year, has been removed from service while investigators complete their work.”
The derailment happened just after 6a.m.
Newton resident Ashley Tarver takes the Green Line at Riverside everyday to get to her job in Cambridge and said that news of derail- ments on the Th ave made her nervous to take it.
“It’s just like an everyday thing now, it happens so often. They need to get it together,” Tarver said. “They need to be more cautious because there’s a thousand people taking this train.”
A preliminary investigation of Wednesday’s incident found no issues with the track infrastructure, the signals or the train itself, Pesaturo said in a statement.
The MBTA has faced increased backlash from riders in recent months after numerous equipment failures and delays.
On June 8 a Green Line train derailed in the tunnel between Fenway and Kenmore stations. Three days later, a Red Line train derailed at JFK station, an incident that significantly damaged signal equipment on the line. MBTA officials earlier this week said repairs to the Red Line signal equipment will continue into October.
On July 27, another incident on the Green Line was reported. However, Pesaturo said at the time an out-of-service trolley carrying no passengers was nearly derailed by misaligned tracks, but that the operator stopped it before it happened.
The T on Wednesday deployed shuttle buses to replace service between Riverside and Newton Highlands until the car was rerailed at 11 a.m.
“I want to apologize to the Green Line customers whose commutes were disrupted this morning,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement. “We will complete the formal investigation as soon as possible and take corrective action if needed. We can and we must do better.”