MBTA lifts speed restrictions on 3 lines, 2 lines still slowed as inspections continue

BOSTON — The MBTA has lifted the speed restrictions on three of the train lines that were slowed down Thursday night. Some restrictions remain as MBTA officials continue to investigate safety violations uncovered on Thursday.

The Red, Orange and Blue Line trains are operating as normal Friday, MBTA interim general manager Jeff Gonneville announced in a press conference.

The MBTA’s Green and Mattapan Lines are still subject to the speed restrictions, limiting the cars to a top speed of 25mph and 10mph when going around corners.

Although riders weren’t notified until after 10 p.m., the MBTA actually started implementing the speed restrictions around 5:30 p.m. Thursday night, according to Gonneville.

In an unprecedented move following the discovery of several violations, the MBTA implemented speed restrictions on the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines, adding additional travel time for commuters.

Subway trains on those lines were limited to 10 to 25 miles an hour, the T announced late Thursday night. Normally, the trains travel up to 40 miles an hour.

The speed restrictions were the result of several safety violations that were discovered by Department of Public Utilities inspectors during a recent site visit of the Red Line between Ashmont and Savin Hill.

During a safety subcommittee meeting Thursday, MBTA officials said the DPU found six violations during the inspection of the southbound stretch of Red Line track.

The DPU then sent letters to the MBTA, requiring them to come up with an action plan and ways to fix the violations. The MBTA has been ordered to address the safety violations by the end of the work day Friday.

Between March 3 and 5, the DPU said it found the following:

• A couple of trains overshot a station platform
• Defective track conditions on the red line
• Subway operators weren’t using headlights when required
• Several third-rail insulators were defective
• Signal control boxes and access panels weren’t securely closed
• Inspectors observed a worker not wearing a hard hat worker wasn’t wearing a hard hat

“The MBTA apologizes in advance for these inconveniences and remains committed to operating the transit system in the safest manner possible,” the transit officials said in a statement Thursday night.

A Boston 25 News crew took a ride on the Red line from Ashmont to Savin Hill. It took 13 minutes and at some points the train did slow down substantially.

“Crazy, that’s why we’re always late for work,” said Dermot Joyce, a Red Line commuter. “Between Broadway and South station, it slows down, it’s crazy. Yeah, it’s bad.”

Commuters told our Boston 25 crew they are frustrated and are tired of talked to commuters who say they are just frustrated with the constant issues on the T.

“In the last three years its gone downhill terribly,” Joyce added. “There are always delays, a train breaks down.”

Fellow Red Line commuter Anthony Reed said, “All of this is supposed to be for improvements, I’m not seeing improvements happen. I realize it’s a complex situation but it’s affecting people that need to need to be at work early and don’t have cars...Safety has to be paramount. Obviously there’s been enough accidents, there’s been enough problems of people being hurt but other cities seem to have magical systems. Do something that someone else is doing. We’re not doing it right and we’re not doing it right by the people.”

The transit agency did not provide any additional information, only to say that more information would be disclosed at a news conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.

The MBTA also asked riders for their patience as officials continue to inspect and perform work on segments of subway track over the weekend.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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