2019 Commuter Rail Delay Thread

[Steve Wagner]

A fairly frustrating Friday evening commute:

I stepped outside from Harvard Law School at 5:29 p.m. January 11 just in time to see an outbound 77 bus leave the stop on Mass. Ave. I walked to Porter. I was passed by two more buses, which I then passed before they got to Porter. I got to the platform and saw Train 421, scheduled to leave at 5:46, approaching. I boarded and got a seat. The conductor went on the PA and announced that we'd be waiting a while, because a car had gotten stuck at a crossing and a tow truck would have to move it. (When I eventually got off at Concord I asked her which crossing: it was Sherman Street, the first one west of Porter.) The train didn't move until 6:37 p.m., after which it made good time to its first stops at Waltham, Lincoln and Concord. At least on the lower deck of the double-decker I was on, people stayed in good spirits. But what a way to start the weekend!

I haven't found any news reports of this incident. But I strongly suspect that yet another motorist using a GPS system in the dark turned onto the railroad track.

[jonnhrr]

Looks like Friday was a bad day for the T. 506 from Worcester delayed 30 min due to having to push disabled train 584 from Boston Landing to South Station. A person hit by a Red Line train at Field's Corner resulting in busing the Ashmont branch. This all from T alerts. I was originally going to take the T to my job in Bedford but ended up driving for other reasons, although the train I was planing to take was not affected.

Jon

[petahgriff8316]

Big problems on the Lowell Line tonight...brush fire in Wilmington and crossing gate malfunction in West Medford. Totally unrelated but those things happening concurrently resulted in massive delays. The gates were having issues when I went into Boston from W. Medford at 4:30 and were still having problems when I finally got back around 7:25 (train scheduled for 6:30, departed at 7 or so)...we crawled at about 10 mph from the Tufts interlocking to the station...the train after ours had to stop short of the crossing for the gates to trigger (on the "small island" circuit).

[GP40MC1118]

Sounds like a bad night on the Fitchburg:

https://www.universalhub.com/2019/fitch ... ere-chosen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RenegadeMonster]

All kinds of delays and cancellations this morning due to mechanical issues on the Eastern.

[sonicdoommario]

There were signal issues at South Station during the afternoon rush hours, delayed a lot of trains heading out.

On an unrelated note, train 834 on the Providence line boarded on track 2 at Attleboro, not track 4. Odd given that the prior train, 832, boarded on track 4 roughly 45 minutes prior. Did HEBRONVILLE fail during that time?

[Diverging Route]

Really? Passengers had to cross over Track 4's rails to climb up on to the train? And no ADA access?

[sonicdoommario]

Yeah, I was train watching last night and happened to see it. Kind of explains too why the train got to Attleboro fairly quickly (you can see all the way down to where the tracks curve to the right at HEBRONVILLE, and since the track switch from 2 to 4 for inbound CR trains happens there they pretty much rumble around the curve and I think can only go up to 45 on track 4 with advanced approach signals. Staying on track 2 I imagine they can get at or close to 79 before having to stop at the Attleboro station.

At the Attleboro station though there are wooden boardwalks in between tracks 2 and 4 spaced out, so you can walk across those to get to the train. I saw the conductor at the back of the train on the radio with the door open, probably helping guiding the engineer to stop the train to line up with the boardwalks.

This isn't the first time I saw this happen, I remember in 2015 around March/April someone in Attleboro I think threw a rock up at the overhead wires, caused it to fry, and blew out I think the signals and switches at HOLDEN. MBTA trains couldn't stop at tracks 3 and 4 in Attleboro and had to board on tracks 1 and 2 (I remember doing this when I went up to Boston when the MBTA had that free day in April after the snow blitz). The fun thing about that too is that when leaving from track 2 they can get up to top speed instantly (instead of leaving track 4 going 45 until merging at HOLDEN).

[RenegadeMonster]

Last night and this morning has been a rough commute on the Rockport line.

Rockport Train 1109 (5:30 pm from North Station) is operating 5-10 minutes behind schedule between Montserrat and Rockport.

Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) is stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 10-20 minutes behind schedule. Updates to follow.

Update: Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) remains stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 20-30 minutes behind schedule.

Update: Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) remains stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 30-40 minutes behind schedule.

Update: Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) remains stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 30-40 minutes behind schedule.

Update: Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) remains stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 60-70 minutes behind schedule. It will be assisted to Rockport by Train 121.

Update: Rockport Train 119 (5:30 pm from North Station) remains stopped near Manchester due to a mechanical issue and is currently 80-90 minutes behind schedule. It is being assisted to Rockport by Train 121.

Rockport Train 104 (7:13 am from Salem) is stopped near Gloucester and is currently 5-15 minutes behind schedule due to a drawbridge issue. Updates to follow.

Rockport Train 106 (7:10a inbound) will depart Rockport behind schedule due to the late arrival of equipment caused by a drawbridge issue. Updates to follow.

Update: Rockport Train 104 (7:13 am from Salem) remains stopped near Gloucester and is currently 40-50 minutes behind schedule due to a drawbridge issue. Updates to follow.

Update: Rockport Train 104 (7:13 am from Salem) remains stopped near Gloucester and is currently 50-65 minutes behind schedule due to a drawbridge issue. Updates to follow.

Update: Rockport Train 104 (6:30a inbound) is now operating 70-80 minutes late between Gloucester & North Station due to a drawbridge issue.

Rockport Train 106 (7:53 am from Salem) will originate at Beverly Depot due to a drawbridge issue and is expected to arrive to North Station 15-25 minutes behind schedule.

An extra train has departed West Gloucester and is making all local stops en route to North Station to accommodate passengers affected by the drawbridge issue.

Beverly Train 192 (8:37 am from Salem) has been cancelled today. Please consider Rockport Train 108 (8:15a inbound) for service en route to North Station.

Rockport Train 108 (8:58 am from Salem) is expected to depart Rockport behind schedule due to the late arrival of equipment caused by a drawbridge issue. Updates to follow.

[jaymac]

Early and major 02-27-2019 Fitchburg Line signal troubles at 330 to GL, FG, Camp, and AY. 400 had a 20-30 minute delay T Service Alert. Fuller deets if wanted on the 02-27 PAR Gardner Gawking.

[BostonUrbEx]

Ayer PD Press Release

Last evening, shortly after midnight, the Ayer Police Department received a call from Pan Am Railways about a vehicle travelling east bound... ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS! While the officers were en-route, the Ayer Shirley Regional Communications Center received a 911 call from the operator of the vehicle, stating that she was stuck on the tracks near the Sandy Pond RR crossing. Luckily, all rail lines (passenger and freight) had already been brought to an emergency stop!

Officers arrived and found the vehicle 75 feet east of the Sandy Pond Rd crossing, with major undercarriage damage. The operator, a 42 year old Ayer resident, was with the vehicle and not injured. A tow truck was summoned to the area to help lift the vehicle off of the tracks and out of the way.

The operator of the vehicle stated that she was following her GPS device and it accidentally turned onto the tracks and couldn't back up. The operator decided that she would try and forge ahead to the next crossing; a decision that prove more than her vehicle could mechanically handle.

PLEASE! If you find your self stuck on the tracks in any form or fashion, the first thing you need to do is get all occupants out of your vehicle and off the tracks, then call 911! With one phone call we can issue the order to stop train traffic and then work to get your vehicle off the tracks in safety. Reminder, for safety reasons, it is a state crime to be on railroad property without permission (Trespassing).

This incident is still under investigation by Officer George Fichter and Officer Stephen Lucier.

#AyerPD Operation Lifesaver Inc.

https://www.facebook.com/AyerPD/photos/ ... =3&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In short, a vehicle was driven down the tracks from Ayer Yard, onto the mainline, and then continued for about a mile. Driver claims it was a GPS problem.

Between the car on the tracks and the damage caused to CPF AY by the car, Train 433 was delayed that night, and Trains 400 and 402 were delayed the next morning.

[BandA]

Presumably, the woman will be found at-fault, and the railroad will press a claim against her auto insurance. It's not collision, so it will fall under the comprehensive coverage I blieve. Probably enough damage between the two to be a major incident so I assume she will get points on her insurance. Is there a fine for the trespassing?

[GP40MC1118]

Another bad morning on the Fitchburg. Culprit was the 1055...

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[EdSchweppe]

Another bad morning on the Fitchburg. Culprit was the 1055...

https://www.universalhub.com/2019/fitcb ... o-hours-no" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of the unhappy riders was state Senator Jamie Eldridge:

.@MBTA_CR, my hands are finally unfrozen enough to tweet that I waited on the South Acton #MBTA platform for 20 minutes, after the 404 was cancelled, and 406 was so delayed due to disabled train - left to hitch a ride w/ friend. 100s of commuters waiting along #Fitchburg line...

https://twitter.com/JamieEldridgeMA/sta ... 0620869632" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sonicdoommario]

There's a switch issue outside Wickford Junction that has delayed train 832 for almost an hour. It also delayed 825 on its way to Wickford. Because the platform at Wickford is only accessible to one track, they are having 832 reverse back into Wickford Junction to allow 825 to get to the station. I wonder if they'll keep 832 on track 1 past the station while 825 goes to track 3 to stop at the station. 825 also turns to 834 when reaching Wickford, so those trains will probably run closely together.

EDIT: Looking at the Google Map, it looks like 832 backed into track 3 before it stopped reporting. But doesn't track 3 end shortly after the station platform? Both 832 (which is the turn of 821) and 825 (which turns to 834) are both 8 double-decker car sets, so the only way I think you could get this to work is if you can get the front of 825 to the platform and get everyone off the train from there. And the set for 834 would have to leave before 832 could get out.