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MBTA investigating derailed Red Line train at JFK/UMass – Metro US

MBTA investigating derailed Red Line train at JFK/UMass

MBTA investigating derailed Red Line train at JFK/UMass
Boston Fire Department

Sixty people were evacuated from an MBTA Red Line train that derailed at JFK/UMass Station in Dorchester just after 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

“At approximately 6:10 a technical rescue team was dispatched for a train derailment southbound on the ⁦@MBTA⁩ Red Line,” according to the Boston Fire Department Twitter feed. “We evacuated 60 people from the trains, all were able to walk off. There was one person with a minor injury who refused transport by ⁦@BOSTON_EMS⁩ .”

The T said shuttle buses will replace service between North Quincy and Park Street and from Ashmont to Park Street. Commuter Rails will make extra stops to accommodate passengers at Middleborough, Kingston and Greenbush commuter line trains at JFK-UMass, Quincy Center and Braintree.

Officials estimate “severe” delays as long as an hour while they investigate the cause of the derailment. 

This comes just a few days after a Green Line train derailed on Saturday due to an “operator-related” issue. The MBTA will now reach out to a third party to examine train derailments that have occurred over the past two years. “I want a fresh set of eyes on this to make sure we’re not missing something,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We hear very clearly and we understand very clearly that the situation with these derailments is not acceptable and we are taking steps to address that,” he said.

Unsurprisingly, frustrated straphangers vented their annoyance on Twitter, with some sharing photos of crowds of displaced commuters holding umbrellas.

“Saying ‘seek alternate transportation’ to your customers is so unfair. This is YOUR problem so YOU should provide alternate transportation. You are a transportation company after all, right?!?” tweeted @leannalee771. Dorchester resident Jarred Johnson suggested the city take a more proactive approach in handling transit issues like Tuesday’s derailment, tweeting “Wow. And real time bus info from @transitapp is down. This shows the lack of coordination and resiliency. The city is one [derailed] train car from a near traffic meltdown. I’m asking that @marty_walsh direct @BostonBTD to work with the @MBTA to develop policies for emergencies.”