Major, hours-long delays plagued the commuter rail this weekend

Riders on two of the MBTA’s Commuter Rail lines saw lengthy delays on Sunday due to mechanical issues, according to the system’s operator.

On Sunday morning, Newburyport Line train 2155 — the 9:30 a.m. train from North Station — experienced a mechanical delay that disabled the locomotive, according to Keolis Commuter Services. The train stopped between Rowley and Newburyport, according to a Commuter Rail tweet, which put delays at 15 to 25 minutes.

In a series of Commuter Rail tweets that followed, however, the estimated delays grew to more than an hour. The stopped train also delayed the departure of the 11:10 a.m. train to Newburyport by about an hour and a half, according to one tweet. 

To minimize service impacts, the next outbound Newburyport/Rockport train connected to the disabled train and completed the trip for passengers, a Keolis spokesperson told Boston.com.

Later in the day, the 4:45 p.m. train from Middleborough stopped before Bridgewater, also due to mechanical failure, according to Keolis. The train fell nearly two hours behind schedule before it was cancelled near Bridgewater.

“New worst [MBTA] experience,” one rider tweeted, documenting their experience on the Middleborough train.

Keolis also cancelled the 6:25 p.m. train from Braintree; the next outbound Braintree train didn’t depart until 8:45 p.m. 

“Subsequent inbound and outbound trains experienced delays because [of] train traffic in the single-track areas,” the Keolis spokesperson said. 

The next inbound train, scheduled to depart Middleborough at 7:20 p.m., was delayed by about 30-40 minutes, according to a Commuter Rail tweet. 

All disabled equipment was transferred to Commuter Rail maintenance facilities for repairs, Keolis said. 

“Commuter Rail equipment is maintained regularly and inspected daily to prevent mechanical issues and comply with safety best practices and regulations,” the spokesperson said. “When a mechanical issue does occur, Commuter Rail staff makes timely repairs while ensuring safety and minimizing impact to service.”

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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