Green Line operator placed on leave following collision, NTSB investigating

A Green Line collision that sent 23 people to the hospital is now being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, and one of the train operators has been placed on administrative leave.

The collision Friday night between the two trains happened outside Agganis Arena in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and Pleasant Street. No life-threatening injuries were reported among the 23 passengers who were transported to nearby hospitals.

The operator who was placed on leave was controlling the car that struck another two-car train from behind, according to an MBTA spokesman.

That employee has been with the MBTA for seven years. No other employees have been placed on leave, the spokesman said.

On Saturday morning, the NTSB tweeted an update announcing that it is investigating the collision.

NTSB is investigating the July 30, 2021, collision of two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) light rail trains on MBTA's Green Line near Boston, Massachusetts.

— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) July 31, 2021

Shuttle buses had replaced trains between Kenmore and Washington Street due to the collision, but service was restored as of early Saturday morning, according to the MBTA.

The Green Line Train Protection System, which is a $170 million project with expected completion by 2024, will reduce the risk of train collisions with signal overrun protection, collision avoidance monitoring and speed enforcing transponders.

Once installed, all Green Line trains will have automatic braking to prevent collisions.

Two summers ago, a rash of derailments across various subway and Commuter Rail lines led the T to commission an independent report on safety, leading the at-times-beleaguered agency to make policy changes aimed at keeping the trains safer.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3zYwz74