A green line derailment in October 2024
Safety concerns are always top of mind for T riders, and despite the agency’s recent efforts to bring the system back to full speed, new data compiled by the Boston Globe shows there are still a lot of improvements to be made.
According to the paper, the MBTA surpassed major states like California and New York, earning the title of being one of the worst transit systems in the nation for derailments.
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Most of the T’s issues involved maintenance vehicles, and were a combination of aging infrastructure - which had been ignored for years until recently – and operator error.
Last year drivers were issued 66 speeding citations.
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The numbers show staggering fluctuations in the number of derailments over the past four years during their extensive track repair.
In 2020, there were 20 speeding citations, 12 in 2021, 18 in 2022, just nine in 2023, and 44 last year – the year of the most extensive track repair work.
In 2023, in a scathing report, federal transit officials warned the T to clean up its act and build a safety improvement plan – which it did.
However, even the derailments after that report that didn’t involve passengers had a snowball effect on service delays, confusion over replacement shuttle buses, and rider frustration.
General Manager Philip Eng has worked with state and local officials to make safety improvements and upgrades. He told the Globe in an interview that they take all derailments seriously and that the number will "definitely be down" next year.
Brian Kane, executive director of the T advisory board, added that the said the high number in derailments reported in 2024 makes sense given the scope of the track work performed. However, it would be a concern of the trend doesn't improve.
The MBTA is staring down a $700 million budget shortfall and needs roughly $25 billion to fix its entire system. Gov. Maura Healey has a proposal to inject $1.4 billion to stabilize finances at the agency, but it will require legislative approval.
