Regular service has resumed after a derailment led to smoky conditions and confusion Wednesday morning on the MBTA's Red Line.
The last car of a six-car train derailed as it entered Andrew Station around 9:20 a.m., then "re-railed itself" before it stopped, according to MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo.
Initially, the MBTA said it was a track problem, but then said it was a motor failure that led to the issue. In a press release Wednesday afternoon, the MBTA called the incident a derailment. Pesaturo later clarified all three things happened Wednesday morning.
Crews found that about 300 feet of third rail was damaged as a result of the derailment during an assessment later Wednesday.
Officials are thoroughly inspecting the the track, the train's equipment and other components that are involved, Pesaturo said. The train involved in Wednesday's incident is out of service for the duration of the investigation.
No one was injured in the incident.
Commuters were warned of severe delays continuing into the evening as shuttle buses were used between the JFK/UMass and Broadway stations, and were urged to "consider an alternate transit mode."
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Huge crowds were trying to board busses outside the Broadway T stop Wednesday evening, with many commuters frustrated.
"The busses are crowded. That is dangerous for all the people to get on the bus," said one passenger.
Complete train service resumed between the three stations just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"This is a serious incident and we want our customers to know that our top priority is to operate a safe system for our customers," MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramirez said in a statement. "While we realize this is a significant inconvenience to our customers, the Red Line will remained closed between Broadway and JFK until it is safe to resume service. Until then, our team continues to assess the damage, and make necessary repairs, while working to identify the root cause."
Photos and videos from commuters Wednesday morning show smoke filling the busy transit stop as passenger got off the train.
Another commuter said that the motor failure caused glass on the train to blow out.
Kyle Hemingway said the train "kept sort of bucking, and then it would sort of slam back down, come back up again, slam back down, and sparks would fly."
He said the ride then took a terrifying turn.
"Then the window across from me just started pulsing, like shards of glass would come out and burst," he recalled.
Commuters were also encouraged to use the MBTA's commuter rail lines as an alternate means of transportation, including Middleborough/Lakevill, Kingston/Plymouth and Greenbush, which is adding stops at JFK/UMass, Quincy Center and Braintree stations.
In a statement, a spokesperson said Gov. Charlie Baker is "grateful" for there being no injuries in Wednesday's incident.
"The governor appreciates the public's patience as the MBTA investigates this serious incident and completes necessary repairs so regular service can resume," the spokesperson said.
