Feds to Investigate MBTA Safety

"Unintentionally coupled" = spin-speak for "they almost got it stopped in time..."?

Had they not actually coupled, they would have more than likely derailed again. Smh

More bad news:
https://universalhub.com/2022/feds-say- ... -had-issue

This is good news! At least one part of the federal government is doing their job, unlike, apparently, MBTA management.

Take, for example, the Orange Line tracks between Tufts Medical Center and Back Bay, where drivers have had to go particularly slow since 2019:

FTA found that portions of track displayed evidence of excessive wear and defects. These conditions were, in turn, managed through gauge rods, some of which showed signs of corrosion

The Southwest Corridor opened in May 1987, thirty-four years ago. For the track to have completely deteriorated to the point of needing "gauge rods" which i assume are a temporary quick fix, and for those to be corroded, there must be a water problem in that tunnel.

Here are the five special directives, as issued by the FTA
https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations ... ctive-22-8

The problem with the Southwest Corridor trackage is the Direct-Fixation method of rail mounting. The premise was long term cost savings, aka the standard wooden ties would not need to be replaced and the trackage is within either a tunnel or a concrete trench. Problem there is only 8 points, 4 per rail, of fastening with elastic rail clips per slab. If wooden ties were used there would be more fastening points. Also water is a plenty in the tunnels.

Take a glance either going NB or SB between Tufts Medical Center and Back Bay. There is even some hollow wooden ties in the crossover area.

JoeD

The stretch of train on the Braintree branch between N. Quincy and JFK is insanely bumpy. I don't know how the trains don't jump the tracks there

The entire Braintree Branch itself is insanely bumpy, I have ridden it countless times and have gotten so used to it to the point that whenever I ride the adjacent Middleborough Main Line I am shocked at how smooth the ride is.

Not good - Service cuts.
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/06/17 ... it-system/

Due to a staffing shortage in the Operations Control Center, the Red, Orange, and Blue lines will be running a Saturday service on weekdays starting next Monday, June 20, until further notice. No changes to Green Line service.

https://www.mbta.com/news/2022-06-17/su ... m=red-line

FTA evidently does not make many special directives. These ar e numbered 22-4 thru 22-8. Wonder if 22-1 thru -3 are WAMATA?

Charlie and the T management must be doing backflips of joy that they have all these great excuses to reduce and eliminate service.

I don’t think the T has ever been so transparent about its desire to provide as little service as possible.

Charlie almost managed to go down as the savior of the T but is now likely to own its greatest collapse in decades.

And now, this:

https://universalhub.com/2022/red-line- ... cks-nobody

At least that particular incident is already part of what the FTA was responding to.