CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — There were more problems for the MBTA on Wednesday after a fire ahead of the evening commute shut down parts of the Red Line in Cambridge.
The problem was fixed by 5 p.m., but it meant shuttle buses replaced trains between the Harvard and Park Street stations.
A fire under a train at the Kendall/MIT station led to large groups of people waiting out in the cold.
The fire came just a week after the T had power problems affecting three other lines – the Blue, Green, and Orange – in which the MBTA offered free rides during the evening commute as a gesture of goodwill.
The State House News reported that a “failed joint” in a seven-mile feeder cable caused last week’s power outage.
The T is showing that they are doing work to prevent these types of problems in the future. On Tuesday, the transit agency shared video of work that was done on the Red Line last week between Alewife and Harvard to replace 2,500 feet of rail and complete signal modernization throughout the area.
The video also showed crews replacing dozens of concrete slabs that float between the rails and rubber disks.
That work meant they could remove eight speed restrictions, which should reduce travel time for riders.
However, this weekend, more inspections will shut down service on the Red Line between Harvard and Broadway. Shuttle buses will replace service there on Saturday and Sunday.
Ongoing work is also happening on the Green Line, which means more shuttle buses replace trains between Copley and parts of the B, C, and D trains until March 8.
When it’s completed 9 speed restrictions will be removed, special trackwork will be replaced, and stations will be a bit nicer with repairs.
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