Was the Green Line Struck by Lightning Last Night?
The MBTA is investigating after sparks flew during a thunderstorm.
@universalhub green line in Cleveland circle during thunderstorm pic.twitter.com/09pIiqhgX5
— Pre-Weekend Jared (@jared_raymond) May 24, 2018
The MBTA is investigating after reports of sparks flying on the Green Line during a thunderstorm on Wednesday night, which has led to speculation that the train might have been struck by lightning.
In a video of the incident shared on Snapchat and Twitter, a loud, bright burst can be seen popping on the top of a Green Line train car in Cleveland Circle. The witness who posted it, Jared Raymond, said in a follow-up tweet that he “heard a couple bangs and saw flashes” then pulled out his phone, pointed it out his window and “caught the big one.”
Was this—as a post on Reddit last night speculated—a rare, and extremely unlikely, lightning strike on a moving trolley car, captured on film? The T can’t say just yet.
“The cause is under investigation,” MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an email. He added that the train was out of service and had no passengers aboard, that neither the train nor the wires that power it were damaged, and that there were no delays in service.
The Globe reports that the fire department responded to a small fire at the Cleveland Circle Station at around 9 p.m., the same time as the sparking incident.
We’ll update when we learn more.
