MBTA files lawsuit in Canton rail crash

BOSTON. The MBTA is suing CSX Transportation Inc. and a Stoughton lumber company, claiming they failed to prevent a “runaway” freight car from slamming into a commuter rail train in Canton last month.

The lawsuit alleges neither took “the most basic steps to secure the freight car,” including setting a hand brake, preventing the car’s wheels from rolling and locking a steel grate to prevent the train from leaving Cohenno Inc.’s lumber yard.

On March 25, the freight car loaded with heavy synthetic wood decking began rolling away from the lumber yard during rush hour. Around 5:09 p.m., the car started moving north onto the Stoughton Line toward the oncoming commuter rail train, which was about three miles away and heading into Canton Junction. When the engineer saw the freight car, he stopped the train and was trying to back it up but had no time to avoid the collision, according to the lawsuit, filed last week.

According to the T, more than 100 passengers and crew suffered various injuries in the crash.

In the lawsuit, the MBTA and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, which runs the commuter rail, attempt to establish that CSX and Cohenno are responsible for the crash, to recoup the damage done to the commuter rail train and to avoid being sued themselves in the future by riders injured in the incident.

Last week, a spokesman for CSX told The Boston Globe that company officials had not reviewed the lawsuit and would not comment on it.