Thursday commute plagued by Red Line fire, Green Line delays, and (another) tunnel closure

Thursday morning was an especially hectic one for Boston commuters. A fire upended Red Line service, significant delays impacted the Green Line, and the Ted Williams Tunnel was briefly closed due to a medical emergency. 

The Boston Fire Department responded to the MBTA Charles/MGH station at about 5:45 a.m., the department said. A mechanical issue caused “a smoke condition,” the MBTA said. 

Deputy Chief James Greene told reporters that there was a small fire underneath a Red Line train at the station. All the passengers “self-evacuated,” he said. There were no injuries. 

Firefighters attempted to use the standpipes at that station maintained by the T, a department spokesperson told The Boston Globe, but those were not functioning.

Firefighters tried bringing a hose up to the platform from the base of the Longfellow Bridge, Greene said. They ended up using water cans and fire extinguishers to eliminate the fire. 

Shuttle buses were deployed to replace Red Line service between Harvard and Broadway stations. Service resumed by 7:50 a.m., with trains bypassing Charles/MGH so that the station could be cleaned. The station reopened by 8:40 a.m.

Just before 9 a.m., the MBTA also said that Red Line riders should expect delays of about 15 minutes due to another disabled train at Harvard. 

Green Line delays

Green Line riders also had trouble reaching their destinations. At 8 a.m., the MBTA said that there would be delays on the E Branch because of a train with a mechanical issue at Heath Street. 

Riders were told to use the Route 39 bus for alternate service. By about 8:15 a.m., officials had suspended between the Heath Street and Brigham Circle stations. Regular service resumed by 9 a.m.

Ted Williams Tunnel closure

Part of the Ted Williams Tunnel was briefly closed at about 8:15 a.m. for a “medical transport,” the Department of Transportation said. A spokesperson for MassDOT later told Boston.com that Interstate 90 westbound inside the tunnel was closed for transport of an organ. The roadway was reopened shortly after 8:30 a.m. 

The Ted Williams Tunnel is an essential alternate route to Logan Airport and East Boston from downtown during the extended Sumner Tunnel closure. Sumner is fully closed until Aug. 31 for a major restoration project. It will be closed on most weekends this fall and winter before completely shutting down again next summer. 

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