Neighbor News
1 Worker Injured, Several Others Shaken In Latest MBTA Mishap
Several workers were working on a track repair when a train was not given proper signals for navigations.
BOSTON, MA- One track repairman is hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and several others are shaken after an intense close call with an Orange Line train. This all occurred nearest the Tufts Medical stop on the Orange Line southbound, and was not communicated to the train operator in advance of their routine repair work. It has been determined by officials as a potential procedural violation. The MBTA and federal transportation authorities are actively investigating, however, workers and riders alike are deeply frustrated as these instances appear to be a normality at this point. Nancy Prominski, the regulation unit’s deputy officer, was frustrated with the error but showed insight for the future. She commented that, “This incident, along with any other related incidents, are tragic and show a clear failure in the responsibility to keep workers and riders safe. However, I am impressed that the work crews safely positioned themselves within the niches in the walls that are designed for people to seek safe haven. We will ensure that the network takes accountability and works to avoid future instances.” To a similar tune, MBTA General Manager, Philip Eng, praised his workers saying, “The employees are seeing that by reporting things, management is taking a much more hands-on approach to solving these problems sooner. This culture shift allows for us to take these events as opportunities for improvement, and we are grateful to our workers for their cooperation and dedication to our network”. While officials are using employee and contractor praise to divert blame, one worker on the scene said “It is absolutely the T’s [MBTA] responsibility to ensure our safety, and they failed us once again.” Riders share the same sentiment, discussing the unreliability and lack of safety throughout the transit network and sharing calls of urge to make serious improvements to the network. Further actions are expected following citations from the FTA. This is one of 27 major instances since January of 2023, and other minor instances are countlessly higher.
