Rush hour commuters on the MBTA's Green Line faced unexpected delays and rerouting this morning after a train became disabled near Haymarket. According to a social media post from MBTA around 7:30 a.m., the incident initially prompted an estimated delay of 15 minutes as passengers were instructed to use the Orange Line as an alternative route between North Station and Back Bay.
Further complicating the morning commute, after about 15 minutes later MBTA announced shuttle buses were taking over service from Union Square to Government Center, targeting travelers eager to avoid above-ground traffic. NBC Boston reported the frustration of a Green Line rider, Jonice McCala, "They said that the train is going out of service. You've gotta be prepared in Boston. Very disappointed, because now I have to deal with the above ground traffic. But other than that, you take what you can get."
Local authorities managed to alleviate some of the transportation stress by resuming regular service between Union Square and Government Center shortly before 10:30 a.m., phasing out shuttle buses. The MBTA assured riders via their official communication channels that normal operations were once again in effect.
These disruptions occurred shortly after another Green Line incident yesterday evening that led to several hours of service interruptions. The incident involved a downed overhead wire. MBTA personnel are examining the possibility that a tall vehicle may have come into contact with the infrastructure. The exact cause remains under investigation. Similar incidents in the past have involved tall vehicles, and the current investigation aims to determine the cause and identify measures to prevent future disruptions to the transit service.
