MBTA general manager defends July 1 fare hikes after Red Line train derailment

MassLive.com

Jun. 11--As the crews work to remove a derailed train from Red Line tracks in Dorchester, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak defended the authority's decision to increase fares in July as a necessary step to invest in a stronger transportation network.

"We have a program underway where we are investing billions of dollars in this system...we are building a better system," Poftak told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "Customers are going to start to see the results of these as we go."

Poftak spoke at the JFK/UMass station, where a train derailed shortly after 6 a.m. and left passengers stranded, waiting for shuttle buses throughout the morning. The derailment caused "significant disruptions to the morning commute" across the city, impacting not only the Red Line and transfer stops, but three commuter rail lines, ramps to and from Interstate 93 and buses pulled off other routes to be used as shuttles.

Regular T passengers took to social media to voice their anger on Tuesday, criticizing the service as unreliable and wrong for increasing fares on July 1. The approved new prices will increase a one-way train trip by 15 cents to $2.40 and a monthly pass by $5.50 to $90. Bus rides costs will remain $1.70 per ride.

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Poftak said the transit authority wants to provide a higher, "more reliable level of service" to customers. He added that officials will investigate and work to remedy whatever caused the derailment on Tuesday.

He noted that Tuesday's derailment caused "significant damage" to signal equipment, none of which can be accessed and fixed until the train is fully removed from the tracks at JFK/UMass station. Poftak described the removal of the train, which is partially under a bridge, as a "delicate" project that will require the use of a crane. The extraction process is likely to cause additional delays in the area of Columbia Road Tuesday afternoon.

Poftak said more bus shuttles will transport Red Line riders for the evening commute, and commuter rail trains will offer additional service for Charlie Card holders. The "South Shore Limited" commuter rail lines will from South Station and stop at JFK/UMass, Quincy Center and Braintree with runs at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

No serious injuries were reported following the derailment Tuesday morning, but one person was treated for a hand injury on the scene and another person was transported to the hospital following complaints of pain the neck and back, according to Poftak.

The incident marked the fourth MBTA train derailment since January and occurred three days after a Green Line train derailed and injured 11 people. The cause of the Red Line derailment is under investigation, and the MBTA believes there is no connection to the Green Line incident that was blamed on operator error. The authority is hiring a third-party to investigate derailments at the MBTA over the past two years.

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Poftak acknowledged he had been in touch with Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday. The MBTA manager said he believes Baker understands that the state is "making a tremendous amount of investment in this system" and that generally the authority is "headed in the right direction."

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