There was an incident on the Red Line Thursday at Quincy Center Station. Severe delays broke out after two trains “experienced power problems,” MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo told BostInno.

The power problems – specifically, “a failure in the train’s propulsion system [which] resulted in a burst of smoke,” according to Pesaturo – caused some riders to fear for their safety.

Sidebar: As this post was being written, Downtown Crossing Station was evacuated after a motor problem on an Orange Line train filled the station with smoke.

“People were trapped in the car,” 65-year-old Genevieve Davis told the Boston Globe. “It was frightening. Almost all the lights were off, and everyone was looking at our car and I thought there was a fire under it, and I could not get out.”

Bystander Catherine Groux told Boston magazine, “The doors on one of the trains wasn’t opening, and people started panicking.”

Passengers and others standing by on the platform tried to pry open the doors; one of the train’s windows was kicked out to provide an exit.

“It was pretty scary,” Kristin Bello, a nurse at Fisher College who helped people exit the Red Line train Thursday, told the Boston Globe “I’m glad no one got hurt,” Kristin Bello told the Globe.

Here’s what Pesaturo told BostInno about the incident:

There was no emergency. There was no danger and no one was injured by the failure in the propulsion system. The MBTA was opening the doors when some people kicked out windows. There was no reason for this to happen. It’s unclear why some acted in such a manner.

Now granted, people bitch about the T and tend to exaggerate even the most minor of problems because it’s something of a pastime. But virtually every news outlet in Boston and dozens of tweets – at least – about the incident suggested the situation at Quincy Center was cause for concern.

 

Christina Moschella told WCVB people on board the train “were all just thankful somebody was coming to their rescue, but unfortunately it wasn’t the T.”

On Friday, Governor Charlie Baker said he was “disappointed with the MBTA’s response.”

“People responded in a way you would expect people to respond under those circumstances,” Baker added. “I think we should respect the fact that people were concerned, felt they were in danger, and acted accordingly.”

New MassDOT secretary Stephanie Pollack said she’s “confident that [riders] were never in danger, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was scary.”

On that note… the following apology has been attributed – in the Globe – to Pesaturo himself and – in WCVB’s story – to the T’s general manager, Beverly Scott:

It was never the MBTA’s intention to question what the customers were feeling or experiencing yesterday morning at Quincy Center. We greatly appreciate the loyalty of our customers and we strive to do everything possible to deliver the safe and reliable service they deserve. The MBTA will review every aspect of yesterday’s incident to identify areas in which we can do a better job. We owe that to every person who relies on the MBTA for their daily commutes. The MBTA apologizes for the unsettling experience created by the mechanical issues with the Red Line train yesterday.

Scott, to her credit, made an appearance at Park Street Station Friday afternoon, where she answered riders questions and apologized again on behalf of the T. Scott promised the T would do a better job communicating with riders in the future.

Have a good weekend.

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