The ties that break: Commuter-rail lines falling apart

The MBTA will have to replace thousands of concrete ties on the Old Colony lines out of South Station, leading to two years of mid-day bustitution and no weekend service at all, the Globe reports. The T wants the company that made the ties, which were supposed to last several decades, to pay for the $91-million repairs; the company says, oh, yeah, try and make us pay, we'll just declare bankruptcy.