A Green Line train derailed Tuesday near an MBTA station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, injuring several people and forcing dozens of passengers to walk along the tracks to an emergency exit.
The MBTA says at about 5 p.m., the wheels of the lead trolley of an eastbound Green Line train were reported to have come off the tracks, causing the train to derail near Lechmere Station eastbound at the Red Bridge -- where the Medford/Tufts branch and the Union branch of the Green Line intersect. Around 50 passengers self-evacuated onto the tracks, where they had to walk back to an emergency exit located in the track area.
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Seven riders were taken to local medical facilities with minor injuries, the T said. The Cambridge Fire Department had said that several people were being evaluated by medics, and everyone was expected to be OK.
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Shuttle buses were replacing service between North Station and Union Square, and Medford/Tufts stations through the end of Tuesday's service due to the derailment at 10 Morgan Ave, near Lechmere Station, the MBTA said. Passengers were told they could use Route 87 bus for alternate service.
"The MBTA sincerely apologizes to riders for the frustration and distress this incident has caused," the agency said in a statement to NBC10 Boston. "We will thoroughly investigate this matter to ensure this does not happen again."
The Cambridge Fire Department confirmed it responded to the derailment, where crews were disabling catenary power to the train.
The MBTA said work crews were also responding to investigate, assess any damage, and re-rail the train.
At 8:30 p.m., MBTA Chief Operating Officer Ryan Coholan held a press conference in front of the main entrance of Lechmere Station, reiterating the agency's apology and offering some information on the direction of their investigation.
According to Coholan, their preliminary investigation has ruled out any issues with the track structure, and they are now focused on the human factors involved in this incident.
"The MBTA's worked really hard over the last year to make remarkable improvements across the entire system," Coholan said, again acknowledging the frustration, disappointment and inconvenience this incident caused for riders. "While we recognize that track improvement program and this incident are not related, we are committed to making sure we take every step to thoroughly investigate this incident so we better understand what happened."
When pressed for more specifics, Coholan said that in terms of the track structure, all the measures indicate that track was not a factor, and the human factor involves the train operator and how they were operating their train.
"I really cant say what went wrong," Coholan said, "but trolley operators are expected to follow operating rules, speed limit compliance and every other policy that we have in place here at the MBTA. Right now our investigation is focusing on the human factors."
Coholan initially said at his press conference that he anticipated regular service to resume Wednesday morning, saying that following re-railing, they would thoroughly inspect the tracks again and then the vehicle would go to one of their maintenance facilities for a thorough investigation. However, after the press conference ended, MBTA officials were informed that the National Transportation Safety Board is getting involved with the investigation, which would halt the MBTA's efforts to clear up the tracks.
The tracks will most likely be closed Wednesday, Coholan later said.
The root cause of Tuesday's derailment remains under investigation. The Department of Public Utilities and the Federal Transit Administration have been notified.
