Power restored to Boston transit system after thousands stranded during morning rush hour

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• Thousands of commuters in Boston were stranded during the morning rush hour on Thursday due to power outages affecting transit service lines.
• Power was restored just before 10 a.m., and officials said that the outage at North Station, a primary power feed, was unexpected.
• Commuters shared videos on social media depicting crowded train platforms in sub-freezing conditions.

Thousands of commuters were left stranded around Boston Thursday during the morning rush hour, after power outages hit several lines of the beleaguered transit service.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority took to X, formerly known as Twitter, around 7 a.m. Thursday to say they were working to resolve the issue that was impacting several lines critical to helping commuters get to work in Boston. Power had been restored just before 10 a.m., the MBTA said.

“The outage at North Station was unexpected, and it is one of the MBTA’s primary power feeds,” the MBTA said in a statement. “As a safety precaution, protective systems opened related circuit breakers, temporarily discontinuing power flow. We apologize for the inconvenience and disruption during the morning commute.”

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Several commuters shared video on X of passengers standing on crowded train platforms in sub-freezing conditions. One passenger posted a photo of a dark tunnel and an idle train with the words “We’re like miners.”

The “T” logo marks the passenger parking garage adjacent to the Orange Line’s Wellington Station, on July 13, 2022, in Medford, Mass. Commuters were left stranded in Boston on Feb. 15, 2024, during the morning rush hour after power outages hit several lines of the transit service. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

The MBTA, which oversees the nation’s oldest subway system as well as commuter rail, bus and ferry service, has come under intense scrutiny in recent years for a series of safety issues that led to a federal review and orders to fix the problem. It has recently been plagued by slow zones, the delayed delivery of new vehicles and understaffing.

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In November, it reported that it needs approximately $24.5 billion for repairs and replacements to its embattled network. The analysis is done every three to four years and is a $14.5 billion increase from the last one performed in 2019, officials said.