Peter ([info]unferth) wrote in [info]b0st0n,
2008-06-03 11:36:00
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This is a train question

I realize this invites snark, but MBTA.com has nothing - anyone know what's up with the Red Line running very slowly between Kendall and Charles-MGH? It's been like that since at least last Thursday - it slows to about a walking pace on the Longfellow Bridge.

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  • 49 comments

[info]diego001

June 3 2008, 15:42:12 UTC 3 years ago

Most probably tracks that need repair is all.

[info]lizzielizzie

June 3 2008, 15:42:33 UTC 3 years ago

In case there's a bomb on the Longfellow, they want to be sure to give the trigger man plenty of time to get the train.

[info]littlestarletta

June 3 2008, 15:43:02 UTC 3 years ago

wild guess - the MBTA is more strictly enforcing speed limits after what happened on the D line?

[info]mutedhopes

June 3 2008, 15:44:25 UTC 3 years ago

Probably this. My boyfriend said he saw an old man jogging past the train the other day. It's really sad.

[info]zanylikethat

June 3 2008, 15:45:25 UTC 3 years ago

I read a while back that the Longfellow is in the process of rusting out. Perhaps they are trying to be gentle on it?

Dubious, but possible.

[info]incontango

June 3 2008, 15:47:35 UTC 3 years ago

Don't feel bad, I've been wondering about it myself.

[info]closetalker11

June 3 2008, 16:15:27 UTC 3 years ago

Also me.

[info]_gatecrasher_

June 3 2008, 15:49:24 UTC 3 years ago

It also grinds to a halt between Central and Harvard quite often.

[info]thetathx1138

June 3 2008, 15:54:05 UTC 3 years ago

Yeah, but that's because apparently two trains shouldn't take that hairpin turn at the same time.

[info]fantastic_salad

3 years ago

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[info]thetathx1138

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]fantastic_salad

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]fantastic_salad

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]fantastic_salad

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]gray_fluid

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]thetathx1138

3 years ago

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[info]boblothrope

3 years ago

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[info]thetathx1138

3 years ago

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[info]boblothrope

3 years ago

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[info]0bsessions

June 3 2008, 15:50:12 UTC 3 years ago

I've been wondering this too. It's been driving me absolutely fucking batshit. Like others, I really think it has something to do with enhanced caution due to the D Line incident, which makes no fucking sense to me. The D Line incident was, apparently, due to a mixture of red lights and driver incompetence. You don't deal with the former on the red line.

And yes, I seriously did see a man who appeared to be in his sixties outright jogging faster than the fucking train yesterday morning.

[info]ron_newman

June 3 2008, 17:41:15 UTC 3 years ago

The "red lights" on the D Line were train signals. The line is entirely separated from motor traffic and has no traffic lights.

The Red Line also has train signals. However, if the driver violates them, I think the train automatically goes into emergency stop.

[info]thetathx1138

June 3 2008, 15:51:08 UTC 3 years ago

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Last_thursday

I couldn't resist.

I'm guessing it's signal problems: when I used to ride the Orange and it was slow between stations, that was why.

[info]noradeirdre

June 3 2008, 15:53:36 UTC 3 years ago

I'd heard it was to pace so that only one train was on the bridge at a time, due to the rapidly failing Longfellow Bridge. I walk on the Longfellow every day and I definitely noticed it after the Green Line crash.

[info]fantastic_salad

June 3 2008, 17:04:32 UTC 3 years ago

wouldn't going slower make it more likely 2 trains were on the bridge at once?

[info]ron_newman

3 years ago

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[info]whatagoodgirl

June 3 2008, 15:55:47 UTC 3 years ago

They've been making announcements some of the times I've been on it, saying that they're having work done on the tracks (or something like this... you know garbled those announcements are) and can't go more than 10mph.

[info]littlestarletta

June 3 2008, 16:02:41 UTC 3 years ago

*the winner*

[info]diego001

3 years ago

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[info]bikergeek

June 3 2008, 16:11:08 UTC 3 years ago

This thread over on the railroad.net forums has some interesting info:
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51904

[info]unappropriate

June 3 2008, 16:15:06 UTC 3 years ago

THANK YOU!!!

i've been wanting to post this question since last week, but have been... well, lazy, really.

but note, it only crawls on the cambridge side - once it passes the middle of the bridge, it speeds up into the charles/mgh stop. and oppositely, it cruises out of the charles station, and grinds to a halt as it gets half-way over the bridge.

[info]krank_kether

June 3 2008, 16:43:17 UTC 3 years ago

yes, because they're working on the boston half of the bridge right now.

[info]unappropriate

3 years ago

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[info]sparkgrrl658

June 3 2008, 16:38:52 UTC 3 years ago

i haven't ridden this for awhile, but it's slowed on this stretch for YEARS. though i guess not maybe as slow as it is currently, but still. i used to tell myself it was so everyone could enjoy the view a little longer.

[info]0bsessions

June 3 2008, 17:49:00 UTC 3 years ago

While it's never spode along at mach three, it's definitely lost a step in the past week. As I mentioned before, I have watched bicyclists and joggers pass the train's pace while commuting in the AM of late.

[info]horizon_radar

June 3 2008, 16:58:51 UTC 3 years ago

There was an alert that I received on my phone last week about a track problem between MGH and Kendall causing some kind of delay everyday commuters probably factor into their commute anyway.

That morning I had taken the train over the bridge and it flew, on the way back, it was hard to tell that we were actually moving.

[info]gray_fluid

June 3 2008, 19:42:51 UTC 3 years ago

it has to do with the longfellow practically being condemned. the slow entrance from kendall to charles is to decrease the shockwave that travales accross the bridge toward the area where the support work is being done.

[info]unquietsoul5

June 3 2008, 21:39:32 UTC 3 years ago

Exactly. The Longfellow is one of the 'Bridges Most Likely to Collapse' to the point where they will close it on part of 4th of July Weekend as they fear it ding just that from people trying to watch the fireworks.

[info]ad_lib

June 3 2008, 21:19:45 UTC 3 years ago

i don't know but i'm constantly amazed at how [info]ron_newman knows everything. he's like a robot.

[info]ron_newman

June 3 2008, 21:27:00 UTC 3 years ago

No, but I lived here before they moved and extended the Red Line tunnel.

[info]spaz_i_mota

June 4 2008, 02:56:20 UTC 3 years ago

Me too!

I've been wondering this as well, so I'm glad you asked. I've never heard the announcements mentioned above.

[info]madfilkentist

June 4 2008, 12:43:17 UTC 3 years ago

One time when I was on the Red Line, there was an announcement saying that the trains were under a very low seed limit on the bridge because of construction. I don't know just what this construction is.

[info]lena_a_mermaid

June 4 2008, 14:47:26 UTC 3 years ago

A news article on the Red Line bridge Slow down

Seek and ye shall find.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x572884578/T-works-to-replace-deteriorating-Red-Line-railroad-ties

[info]hrafn

June 5 2008, 13:21:55 UTC 3 years ago

Re: A news article on the Red Line bridge Slow down

Wow. Also yikes.

Taking the bus is starting to sound better and better.
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