Smoke Forces Passengers To Evacuate Park Street Station
BOSTON (CBS) – Sparks and smoke caused major problems on the Green Line Tuesday afternoon. Nervous riders were evacuated from Park Street station after it filled with smoke.
Ky'ron Owens, who works for the city, recorded video of the smoky station. "It was very scary seeing that smoke and not knowing where it's coming from, inhaling the fumes," Owens said.
MBTA officials say the disruption was due to a power problem involving sparking overhead wires near Park Street. No injuries were reported.
"A burning smell and it was really hard to breathe down there," Owens said. "I was very concerned not only for myself but for the well-being of others in the station."
Green Line service was suspended between Kenmore and Haymarket. The disruption comes on the heels of an independent panel hired to assess the MBTA after a string of derailments this summer. The new report released Monday found safety to not be a high priority.
"The T situation this is something that has to be resolved," Owens said. "This has been going on for far too long, and the residents of Boston deserve better."
By 2 p.m., service was restored but with a 10-minute delay. It is clear riders are not only concerned about being late but also their own safety.
"It's definitely something I think about once I get on the train, that something could happen," said rider Sam Berles.
