Local News

Commuter train derails on Boston-bound train; no one hurt

An outbound MBTA commuter rail

WILMINGTON, Mass. (AP) — A tree limb weighed down by snow that snapped off and became wedged in a switch is the likely cause of a commuter train derailment in Massachusetts.

There were about 100 passengers on board but no one was hurt when the Boston-bound train derailed in Wilmington at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

Tory Mazzola, a spokesman for Keolis Commuter Services, which runs the system for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, called it a “low-speed derailment.”

He says it appears the train struck a tree branch that had come down during the storm, dragged it several hundred feet until it snapped and became wedged in the switch.

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The National Weather Service reports that Wilmington got more than 10 inches of snow.

The derailment remains under investigation.

The MBTA reported multiple storm-related delays.