On Tuesday, October 1, roughly 50 people disembarked a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line train—but not at a platform. This disembarkation followed the derailment of a rush-hour train on an above-ground portion of track near Lechmere station in Cambridge, MA. The incident occurred on the same section of track that experienced a power failure and subsequent closure in 2023; the portion of rail also underwent re-alignment along with the rest of the Green Line Extension a month later. This latest stain in the MBTA’s safety record sparked a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, in spite of the accident’s non-lethal nature.
According to a statement by the Cambridge Fire Department on X, crews arrived shortly after the incident, shut off the overhead power lines, and transported seven passengers to local medical facilities. None of the injuries were life-threatening. Regular service resumed just two days later, but many questions are yet to be answered. NTSB investigators were on scene for at least three days following the incident, and while a preliminary report can be expected by November 1, the complete report will not be published for one to two years.
Federal oversight and involvement in the MBTA’s operations and safety procedures is not a new occurrence. In 2022, the Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) released a 90-page report detailing countless aspects of the MBTA’s “lax safety culture,” including the prioritization of capital expenditures over operations. Earlier this year, the FTA also issued a warning to the MBTA regarding 27 independent incidents of maintenance vehicle derailment in the year thus far.
An official statement by the MBTA was released following the accident: "We apologize for this unfortunate incident, to the riders who were aboard this Green Line trolley yesterday, and to riders who continue to be disrupted by the shut down”.The spokesperson explained that, "Safety continues to be our top priority and this incident is unacceptable. We're working alongside our federal and state partners to understand what happened to make sure this doesn't happen again. We know this unplanned service change is a challenge, and we thank our riders for their patience at this time."
Echoing the apologies of the MBTA, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stated, "What a scary incident for the passengers. I'm really sorry about that. I can imagine the horror with that incident, and I'm really sorry that people were injured.” Healey also explained that—informed by her knowledge of the NTSB investigation and in response to questions surrounding how this could happen on recently repaired track—“the look is at the operator."
For the roughly 440,000 daily MBTA rail commuters, a figure that includes some Concord Academy students, the widespread safety oversights are an immense potential hazard. It remains to be seen whether this latest accident will jolt the MBTA towards a safer, less accident-ridden future or if this incident will merely be another instance in the annals of MBTA safety failures.