Small track fire on the Orange Line enough to stop service

Hardly a day goes by without service interruptions caused by stupid problems such as track fires. Yet, it's but a trivial maintenance task to simply keep the tracks and associated electrical systems clean and clear of flammable debris. By trivial, I mean it's not a job that requires a lot of specialized equipment, spare parts, or technical skills to perform; it's just something that needs to be scheduled as part of a general preventive maintenance routine.

Because the Ⓣ is totally overwhelmed with just trying to keep the trains and busses running, preventive maintenance is deferred or reduced, even though it's something that more than pays for itself in the long run. Tasks as unglamorous as cleaning the pits fall to an even lower priority.

The Ⓣ needs to do a better job of taking care of all of its equipment and systems, old and new. If it ever has enough resources so that there's time left in the day to actually keep it clean, it'll be a sign that mechanical maintenance is also in order.

If Green Street was still an elevated station, this wouldn't have happened.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

And if they are concrete, how are they catching on fire?