MBTA to inspect Orange Line trains’ body panels more often following malfunction that filled cars with smoke
The MBTA said it will conduct more thorough inspections of the fleet’s cars as part of regularly scheduled maintenance after a body panel fell from an Orange Line train Tuesday night.
A body panel came loose from an Orange Line train and came into contact with the third rail, filling two different trains with smoke. Passengers inside one train kicked out windows to escape the smoky cars.
To prevent future incidents, the bolts and rivets that secure body panels to Orange Line cars will now be inspected every 12,000 miles — about every eight or nine weeks — when the cars receive scheduled comprehensive maintenance, according to a statement from the MBTA’s chief operating officer Jeffrey Gonneville
Just after 8:30 p.m., an inbound train’s body panel fell onto the tracks as it approached State Street. The train ran over the 12-foot-long panel, which is believed to have struck a wall and the third rail, causing an arcing situation that led to smoke. The passengers, who were not injured, exited the train and it was taken out of service, Gonneville said.
The body panel had not been cleared from the tracks before a second train approached the station around six minutes later. The train struck the panel, which again arced with the third rail and led to more smoke, according to Gonneville.
The second train stopped before it completely entered the station and the doors remained locked. To evacuate the train, passengers used some doors at the end of train cars or kicked out windows and crawled onto the platform. Gonneville said that no injuries were reported.
“While there was never any risk to passengers, they certainly had reason to be concerned,’’ MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said Tuesday night following the incident. “There will be a full investigation into all aspects, including the cause of incident and the manner in which it was handled.’’
The disabled trains caused delays in both directions and the station was eventually closed at 10:30 p.m. Regularly scheduled service resumed Wednesday morning, Pesaturo said in an email statement.
The MBTA began to inspect the body panels on all Orange Line trains overnight Tuesday and said only the cars which had been checked and passed would be in service Wednesday, according to Gonneville. Officials did not plan to inspect other lines, as the Orange Line’s body panels are designed differently.
None of the Orange Line’s 120 cars “failed’’ the inspection, Pesaturo said.
“Out of abundance of caution, T personnel reinforced side panels on 13 cars,’’ he said. “Until we can replace the 37 year old Orange Line cars, inspecting the exterior panels will be a part of regularly scheduled vehicle maintenance work.’’
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