Riders Jump From Windows to Escape Burning Boston Subway Train

The MBTA stated that the fire was sparked by a loose piece of metal hitting the electrified third rail.

By Ryan Erik King
32 minutes ago

Commuting to Midtown Manhattan on the New York City Subway almost every weekday is more often than not a headache — thanks to things like train traffic, delays and signal problems. Although, those issues are a little easier to endure than say, a train catching fire, which commuters in Boston experienced on their commute to work on Thursday.

Orange Line: Delays of up to 15 minutes due to a train with a mechanical problem near Assembly. Trains may be asked to stand by at stations.

Translation: people had to kick windows out of their train car to escape a fire. This is not normal anywhere else,
@MBTA
. Yet it happens here regularly. #dumpsterfire

I mean, it’s normal on WMATA, but that’s a VERY low bar.

Normal in NYC as well ... and you have to watch for miscreants who have already been released without bail 20 times.

Link to tweet

NBC 10 Boston reports that just before 7 a.m., a fire began spreading on the lead car of an Orange Line subway train heading towards the city. This particular train of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Subway, usually referred to simply as the T, was crossing a bridge over the Mystic River when a portion of the car behind the driver became engulfed in flames. As the car filled with black smoke, passengers did whatever they could to escape, including climbing out through the windows. One woman jumped off the bridge into the river and refused assistance from responding fire department personnel while in the water.

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