Parts of the MBTA Red Line Shutdown Through Labor Day

Photo via @MBTAgm

Employees from the MBTA are working “tirelessly” to fix a cable problem along the Red Line that took out train service between the JFK and Park Street stops Saturday, and is expected to remain that way between those stations until at least Monday night.

Officials from the MBTA said that a water damaged cable overheated on Saturday evening, August 31, and the intense heat caused damage to adjacent cables, melting them together.

“Crews continue to work in the tunnel, replacing and repairing damaged electrical and communications cables,” said T spokesman Joe Pesaturo. “The damage is extensive, and the work is complex.”

Bus replacement service, which began late Saturday night, will remain in place through Monday, in both directions, because of the problem at Broadway Station. Pesaturo said that crews are “working tirelessly” to have the Red Line fully functional for the Tuesday morning commute, when people return to work after the long holiday weekend.

The T posted photos over the weekend of several employees from the transit agency working underground to make the repairs.

Luckily, for riders, a section of the Red Line that was supposed to be shutdown due to construction along the Longfellow Bridge was in service this weekend. Work along the Longfellow Bridge, and the tracks, will continue in the weekends to come, and trains will be replaced by shuttles between Park Street and Kendall Stations.

In a separate incident over the weekend, riders along the Red Line also faced some ticket-purchasing problems.

Riders were unable to buy tickets with a credit or debit card at the kiosks at Broadway, Andrew, Wollaston, Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Braintree, Savin Hill, and South Stations due to a technical problem. The issue was resolved within a few hours, but created a minor inconvenience for those trying to travel between the Red Line destinations.

For additional updates about the work being done at the Broadway stop, where the cable issues occurred, follow the MBTA on Twitter.