Speed may have contributed to an MBTA Green Line derailment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that injured several people and snagged service for days at the beginning of the month, according to the preliminary investigative report released Wednesday.
The train derailed on Oct. 1 around 4:45 p.m., just after leaving Lechmere Station in Cambridge.
MBTA officials initially said that they believed the derailment was a "human error issue" and not a track issue. The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board sheds more light on what happened. Investigators say the train was traveling 36 mph in a 10 mph zone when it crossed through a double red signal, a signal to stop, and reached a switch that was still moving to divert the train, as needed for its route.
When the train hit that switch, the leading frame went straight, but the next two took the diverting track and derailed.
"Future investigative activity will focus on speed rules compliance and internal and external oversight," the report notes.
The report mentions that visibility was good with no issue from weather conditions.
The MBTA said in a statement Wednesday that the train operator remains out of service pending an investigation by the MBTA Safety Department.
"The safety and well-being of MBTA riders and employees are of the utmost importance. The MBTA has been working aggressively to improve safety at all levels and has stepped up its focus on compliance with operating rules, including adherence to posted speed limits," the agency said in a statement. "The MBTA has more than doubled the size of its Safety Department in the past three years, broadening the scope of its activities and training thousands of employees to help foster a culture in which safety is prioritized and integrated into the MBTA's core mission of delivering safe and reliable services on a daily basis."
Operators who are found in violation of MBTA safety rules face discipline.
The investigation remains ongoing and a full report won't be available for some time.
According to Federal Transit Administration records, this was the 18th reported MBTA derailment this year alone. One passenger who was injured in the derailment says she wants to see more done to improve safety for riders.
