Crews work to restore power to the Red Line. Photo by MBTA via Twitter.
Travelers who depend on the MBTA’s rapid transit were no doubt annoyed this Labor Day Weekend after a fire that damaged several subway electrical cables caused service disruptions on the Red Line.
Bus shuttles were running between the JFK/UMass station and Park Street station Monday due to power outages, but T officials were hopeful that full service would be restored for Tuesday’s commute.
“Workers in the tunnel are making significant progress,” MBTA Spokeswoman Kelly Smith said Monday. “The crews will work through the night. The MBTA has every intention of operating regularly scheduled Red Line service (Tuesday) morning.”
Boston firefighters responded to reports of a fire on the tracks at Broadway Station around 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
The intense heat of the fire caused damage to adjacent cables, melting them together, according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo, who described the damage as “extensive,” and the work “complex.”
T officials kept its 44,606 Twitter followers updated by tweeting photographs of crews repairing the damage.
While some seasoned T riders were less forgiving, @Moenypenny was one of the few to express gratitude for being kept in the loop.
“@mbtaGM I appreciate the updates! Fingers crossed that the red line will be up tomorrow morning!”
Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS
