Orange Line Train Taken Out Of Service Amid Messy Tuesday Commute

BOSTON, MA — The Orange Line’s return to service after its 30-day shutdown saw riders facing lengthy delays amid lingering speed restrictions on tracks on Tuesday.

The evening commute then saw delays peak after around 5:45 p.m. when an Orange Line train malfunctioned on the northbound tracks of the Downtown Crossing station in Boston.

Witnesses discussing their commute on social media and in conversations with WBZ News said the doors of the train began repeatedly opening and closing while the train was stopped on the northbound Downtown Crossing platform.

The train remained stuck at Downtown Crossing, clogging northbound service and prompting delays in both directions along the Orange Line route, according to a 6:41 p.m. update from the MBTA.

The train was eventually removed from service.

While causing some of the day’s largest delays, Tuesday night slowdowns around Downtown Crossing were far from the only points where Orange Line service dragged, according to riders.

Officials last month said overall Orange Line upgrades during the system’s shutdown would result in safer, cleaner and faster service along the route. Crews would accomplish that in part by eliminating a half dozen “slow zones” necessitated by previous track conditions, the MBTA said.

While Orange Line work wrapped on schedule over the weekend, though, slow zones remained in effect with the return of service this week.

Contacted on Tuesday night, an MBTA spokesperson noted specific speed restrictions between the Jackson Square and Wellington Stations on the Orange Line.

That area represents much of the Orange Line route. The MBTA additionally said that the restrictions would have a broader impact on train dispatching from end to end on the Orange Line.

Slow zones are set to lapse in the coming days once tracks settle on their ballast following Orange Line shutdown maintenance.