BOSTON — They are a daily part of any commute on the MBTA.
A blue line train is waiting at a platform. Red signals flashing ahead of a Green Line train.
But tucked behind an unassuming door inside the T’s Broadway Station, the trains are part of a larger mission: keeping commuters safe in an emergency.
“I think your average commuter doesn’t even know this facility exists,” said MBTA Chief Operating Officer Ryan Coholan. The facility is the MBTA Emergency Training Center.
It consists of a subway tunnel loop and two tracks that were part of Boston’s elevated railway, last used for service in 1919. The tunnel reopened for training in 2013 after receiving $10 million in renovations to bring it up to code, fully paid for by the federal government.
“We have to prepare to respond to all types of training scenarios,” said Coholan. “So when we can do that training in a non-impactful way to our passengers, everybody wins.”
Coholan gave Boston 25 News Traffic Anchor Catherine Parrotta a tour of the facility, beginning with a Blue Line train at the same type of platform used by passengers.
“We can simulate a person falling into the pit. We can simulate a medical emergency onboard the train.” Coholan pointed out that even navigating the seats and handrails on a train can be challenging for first responders. “These are tight confines. In a lot of cases, after something happens, lighting is limited, visibility is limited.”
To create those types of conditions, Coholan pointed out a panel on the wall that can be used to change lighting to simulate a power outage and add crowd noise.
It can even provide sound effects like gunshots or a blast, and fill the platform with smoke.
There are other specialized tools in the center, too. First responders can use an insulated ladder to practice climbing up to the platform from a track with a third rail.
There are also wire testers and a specialized vehicle for evacuating passengers who are unable to walk.
Elsewhere in the center, the crew came across a Green Line train and a Silver Line bus. Each features a different layout, providing unique training opportunities. Coholan estimates tens of thousands of local, state, and federal first responders have trained in the Emergency Training Center’s classroom and tunnel.
A piece of transit history helping commuters well into the future.
“It’s one of those fascinating things that still exists under the streets of Boston today,” Coholan stated.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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