Transportation

Power outage causes widespread MBTA shutdown, delay, officials say

The shutdown lasted around 20 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Boston, MA - 9/19/2022 Despite the power returning to other T lines, the Orange Line is still experiencing delays, officials said. Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe

By Eva Levin

1 minute to read

The MBTA experienced a widespread power outage on Tuesday that shut down the entire subway system for around 20 minutes, officials said in a statement. 

Officials said the outage began around 1:18 p.m. due to a substation electrical issue downtown. All train lines ceased service until 1:40 p.m., when, the statement said, trains began running using extreme caution.

Despite the power coming back on, officials said the Orange Line continued to experience delays between Forest Hills and Stony Brook. Shuttle buses replaced service between Forest Hills and Back Bay for a little under an hour, but were phased out around 3 p.m., the agency said on social media.

However, Orange Line delays persisted after the MBTA said regular service resumed. The most recent MBTA update on Tuesday afternoon said Orange Line riders could expect delays of up to 25 minutes due to a signal problem.

“MBTA subway system functions are stabilizing and we appreciate the public’s patience as we address system issues,” the statement said.

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Officials said the issue was unconnected to current track work, and they are investigating the cause of the outage. 

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Eva Levin

Eva Levin is a general assignment co-op for Boston.com. She covers breaking and local news in Boston and beyond.

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