The Green Line Had the Most Derailments in the Country
Photo by Chris Devers on Flickr/Creative Commons
The MBTA’s Green Line is the busiest light rail line in America—but over the last year, it’s had the most derailments, too.
The Green Line’s seven derailments in 2015 were the highest number of these accidents in the country, with another five in 2016. Most comparable light rail systems in other major metropolitan areas had one or none. Still, it’s nowhere near as troubling as the 29 derailments the MBTA suffered in 2007.
When other forms of transportation are taken into consideration, like subway cars and trolleys, the MBTA had the third-most derailments in the 2015, behind Philadelphia’s SEPTA and San Francisco’s BART.
A state probe into last year’s rash of Green Line derailments, obtained by the Globe via public records request, revealed the MBTA had not only failed to properly maintain its tracks, but to replace the wheels on a model of trolley known for derailments.
Despite Gov. Charlie Baker’s expressed goal of transparency in his sweeping reforms at the beleaguered transportation authority, the audit has rarely, if ever, been discussed during the MBTA’s public hearings. Officials told the Globe that the fiscal and management control board plans to discuss the findings next week—more than a year, and a few derailments, later.
