Dead train in Readville jams up the works, that's just one of commuter rail's quirks

Commuter rail mechanical reliability is the scandal that really should exist but doesn't for some reason. The media should ask the T for the statistics. They're abysmal.

If your car broke down once a month, not only stranding you but everyone else on all the roads you drive in both directions, would you repeatedly do the minimum to get it back on the road and keep driving it? Or would you fix the underlying problem or replace it? Because that's how often EACH locomotive breaks down.

One of the problems uncovered in the Blizzard of 2015, was that fine powdery snow can get up into the traction motors located in the locomotive wheel trucks. This can cause safety devices to trigger a shut down. In the case of 2015, many of the motors shorted and burned out. This forced many locomotives into the shop for repairs, but there were an insufficient number of replacement motors available. Some could be rebuilt in house but most were ordered up from out-of-state manufacturers that needed time to build and deliver proper replacements. This is one of the reasons that the MBTA shut down back then. Supply chain problems.

Ice and snow can sometimes infiltrate other safety systems despite best efforts and equipment. If any of these safety devices short out of disconnect, it send the train into a shutdown sequence because the safety system is preventing a system interlock. In fact all trains operate with similar systems. Broken subway trains are often down because the safety system said so, and that usually has to be traced through a 6-car trainset to find out whet the problem is.

The same thing happens if a commuter rail train were to try to pass through a puddle. No locomotive anywhere can go through water that approaches the level of the rails on which the train runs. Again... all locomotives everywhere. Powdery snow just gets into the intakes a little slower but will accumulate.

You would not drive your car through a deep puddle but all too often we see the ill-informed and unsoundly adventurous getting into trouble and their engines shutting down.