Hey, there! Log in / Register
Train dies before entering Lynn; riders curse this horrible sin
By adamg on Mon, 10/19/2015 - 8:55am
If the morning cold snap was a test of the newfound resiliency on commuter rail, well, some riders wish to have a word with the T. Laura was among those stuck on a Norwegian Blue of a Newburyport/Rockport train in Swampscott this morning.
Boston Obvious was among those who spent more than an hour in Lynn waiting for a train (not sure if the same train as Laura was on).
Elsewhere, the T was estimating delays of 65 to 80 minutes on the Fitchburg Line due to a locomotive that clutched its chest, yelled an enigmatic "I'm coming, Elizabeth" and expired.
Matt Baker tweeted:
So my #MBTA train broke down in the middle of a field. This house is all I can see. Wonder if I can get breakfast? pic.twitter.com/1zaxBiAjFK
— Matt Baker (@MattInNash) October 19, 2015
On the plus side, at least the Fairmount and Greenbush lines were operating normally.
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Fred Sanford's first appearance on UHub?!
I loved that. I cannot wait for his return and to see who at the T becomes the object of his obligatory "ya big dummy".
I think so
Now let's see if I can get other '70s references to death in T posts :-).
The is what the MBTA means by "resiliency"
They what to test peoples breaking points.
Alternate headline
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin, T riders wouldn't know cuz they can't get in
Which is a bigger crapshoot?
Counting on the MBTA for reliable service or spending an hour at Lynn station hoping you don't get robbed or pummelled
Was on the preceding train
...which was late also. The conductor in my standing room only car insistently repeated to all passengers "the regular train (for this schedule slot) is right behind us..." It apparently didn't occur to him that if his train was picking up at the time normally scheduled for the next train, then making all stops, it would be exceedingly unlikely for the next train, also making all stops, to arrive at North Station on time.
Obviously we know now that the commute of anyone who waited for that next train was doomed. Even without today's absurd delays, this raises the disturbing possibility that MBTA/Keolis employees honestly don't understand that riders use public transit in the hopes of reaching their destination within reasonable proximity to a planned time, as opposed to simply enjoying the charming company of the conductor on train 156.
The operational necessity of keeping track of specific vehicles is clear, but ops-centric thinking really causes problems for communication with riders. If the 6:30 train is a half hour late, it's not really the 6:30 any more. If a bus scheduled for 10 minute headways doesn't turn up for 30, that bus is not really "late" for the practical purposes of passengers who thought their trip would take 20 minutes total, but probably don't care which of the three busses scheduled for that period they catch, other than the first one available. The MBTA doesn't get this.
T employees want you off their ride.
They will always lie to you there is a train/bus/subway car right behind this one, and you should get on that. It's one of the reasons why we love them so.