Here’s how the MBTA fared during the season’s first big winter storm
Considering the size of the storm, officials say things went pretty well.
The MBTA’s first winter weather challenge of the season was a big one.
And while officials acknowledge that service was hardly perfect during the two-day snowstorm and that even minor disruptions can be frustrating, they think things went pretty well, all things considered.
The storm — which dumped more than 20 inches of snow in some parts of Massachusetts since Sunday afternoon, though significantly less in the Boston area — was most impactful on the MBTA commuter rail system, which was riddled with delays, as well as several cancellations, during the commutes both Monday and Tuesday morning. Keolis Commuter Services, the private company that operates the network, had said Sunday that it was mobilizing crews to prepare for the storm, but warned that passengers should still leave themselves extra time.
Keolis spokesman Tory Mazzola told Boston.com that the timing — the heaviest amounts coinciding with rush hour — and overall volume of snowfall in some areas made it a “very impactful storm,” which resulted in visibility issues for trains, diminished track conditions, and longer boarding times on the system’s outdoor, potentially slippery platforms.
Still, 91.2 percent of trains were on time within 20 minutes during the two-day storm, according to Mazzola.
Perhaps ironically, the most significant commuter rail disruption was non-weather related, he said. Shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, a commuter rail coach car detached from its train departing South Station. While there weren’t any injuries and the train was moving at less than 15 mph when the incident occurred, Mazzola said it resulted in rippling delays on several lines.
“We’re always looking to continue to improve,” he said, noting that “even one delayed train” can prove to be an irritation for affected commuters.
Mazzola credited $100 million in winter resiliency improvements since 2014, such as heaters to reduce delays resulting from frozen track switches.
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However, the commuter rail wasn’t the only part of the system affected by this week’s storm, even if not to the same degree.
MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the “subway system has performed well over the past two days,” with the exception of one — again — non-weather related incident Tuesday morning in which a “power problem” at State Street station suspended Orange Line service between Haymarket and Tufts. Pesaturo said the issue was “corrected in an hour” and that MBTA personnel were investigating the root cause.
“While subway service has not been perfect, the vast majority of trains have made their regularly scheduled trips in a safe and timely manner,” he added, also crediting the recent winter resiliency investments.
There were some isolated disruptions above ground — and on the water. Passengers reported Monday morning that an MBTA commuter ferry from Hingham listed so severely after hitting a wave that they feared the vessel might capsize, though Pesaturo told The Boston Globe that it was never at risk of doing so. And in Chelsea, an MBTA bus lost traction and crashed into a home’s front steps Monday night. No injuries were reported in either incident.
“Despite challenging road conditions, hundreds of MBTA buses have safely made thousands of trips, carrying hundreds of thousands of riders,” Pesaturo said.
The National Weather Service said late Tuesday afternoon that the two-day storm had “come to an end.”
Following the MBTA’s systemic falters amid record-breaking snowfall in 2015, officials have pledged significant new investments to make sure future winters do not bring the same result. The agency is in the midst of accelerating several projects as part of a five-year, $8 billion capital investment plan.
“The MBTA fully understands that even one delay can be frustrating for the commuters directly impacted by it, and that’s why the T is laser focused on successfully executing its $8 billion capital improvement program,” Pesaturo said.
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