MBTA power issues delay morning commute amid snow
BOSTON -- A power problem on the MBTA left passengers stranded out in the cold Tuesday morning.
The MBTA said a power surge around 7:30 a.m. caused signal issues on all T lines and took out electricity at some stations, including Copley Station in Boston.
On a snowy day where people may have chosen to take the T instead of driving into the city, many riders exited the train only to see a dark station with all but the emergency lights off, while the signal and power departments worked to resolve the issue.
"Every day there's something. I feel they're just kind of brushing it under the carpet," said Stephen Souther, Weymouth commuter.. "It's frustrating for me as a commuter because the frequencies are so bad, but I'm just thinking there has to be a better solution than this."
MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the power surge was caused by a transformer failing and tripping a circuit breaker at the MBTA power facility in South Boston.
"Out of an abundance of caution, all trains were directed to stand by and await clearance to move again," Pesaturo said. "Power was restored approximately 10 minutes later, while signal systems came back online approx. 25 to 30 minutes later."
According to the T, the cause of the transformer failure is under investigation.
