The Red Line train left Braintree at 6:08 a.m. and traveled through the Quincy Adams, Quincy Center And Wollaston stations, before it came to a stop just past the North Quincy Station. It proceeded north to the North Quincy Station where MBTA personnel were able to power down the train remotely.
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T personnel boarded the train and operated it to the next stop, JFK/UMass, where passengers were asked to exit.
MA transit officials say a train full of passengers traveled through several stops without a conductor on board.
State officials are investigating reports of tampering with the train’s safety device, according to The Boston Globe. It was then driven to the nearest station, where passengers were transferred to another train.
“Part of the investigation will be to understand whether that occurred”, she said. The T also said it would install more monitors, mirrors, and cameras to help with security and so that train operators could see more clearly whether doorways were clear to close.
Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said the investigation was focusing on human error. Pesaturo said the train brushed against the operator as it left the station.
Houston’s trains, which get power from an overhead wire rather than a third rail, need an operator to move, Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman Jerome Gray said.
About 50 passengers were on board the Red Line train just after 6a.m Thursday when it passed through four stations without an operator.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Baker made a reference to the train’s main control being tampered with or manipulated.
Baker called it an “isolated” incident and said MBTA passengers should not be concerned.
Vazquez, who has been an MBTA employee for 28 years, was being questioned by officials.
In order to put the train into bypass mode, the operator must leave the train to flip a “toggle switch” on the front of the vehicle, said MBTA Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gonneville.
Some people attempted to break windows, while others attempted to pry open the doors, according to Daly.
Before exiting the train to put the train into “bypass mode”, an operator is required to put on two brakes.
The entire train set was impounded and will remain impounded for the investigation, said Pollack, who said the MBTA, Transit Police, MBTA outside safety overseer the Department of Public Utilities and the Federal Transit Administration will meet Friday morning.
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Lee said the train was not moving at a high rate of speed.
