In the early hours of Feb. 9, an MBTA Green Line train struck another train at the East Somerville station, hospitalizing five.
“Just before 12:30 a.m., a Green Line train (with 5 passengers) struck a stationary train (out of service with no passengers) at East Somerville Station. One car on each of the two-car trains derailed,” an MBTA spokesperson wrote in an email to the Daily.
According to the statement, “all four Green Line operators were transported to a hospital and then released,” while one passenger, who reported a neck injury, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
This collision caused by a derailment comes on the heels of another Green Line derailment that occurred in October 2024 and is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Although a final report has yet to be released, the preliminary report for that accident attributes probable cause to the speed at which the train entered a 10-mph zone — 36 mph — which led it to pass over a “switch that was still moving to direct the train into the diverging track as required by its route.” The lead train car continued straight while those in tow were sent on the divergent track, leading to a derailment that hospitalized seven.
Following the derailment, service was suspended on the E branch of the Green Line from North Station to Medford/Tufts.
“The MBTA apologizes to Green Line customers who are impacted by the disruption in service, following a late-night incident involving two trains,” an MBTA spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Daily. “Shuttle buses [were] available between North Station and Medford/Tufts Station while the National Transportation Safety Board investigates and MBTA personnel [worked] to re-rail the trolley cars.”
The National Transportation Safety Board has begun investigating the February crash. Although the board did not speculate on a probable cause of the accident during the on-scene phase of the investigation, a preliminary report will be made available within 30 days.
“NTSB [board] investigations involve three primary areas: the human, machine and the operating environment,” a board spokesperson wrote in an email to the Daily.
The spokesperson added that, as part of the investigation, information on signal data, track maintenance, witness statements and the crew’s 72-hour history, among other information and records, will be gathered to aid the National Transportation Safety Board in determining a probable cause.
“The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 [months],” the NTSB spokesperson wrote.
By 5 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 10, the derailed trains had been cleared from the tracks, and train service resumed by 11 a.m.
Although he feels that the Green Line isn’t always reliable, sophomore David Litvak is undeterred by the recent accidents.
“I do feel like it’s a safe option, but I don’t always feel like it’s a reliable option,” he said. “[I’m] not particularly worried. I think they should get things sorted out, but it is not going to stop me from riding the Green Line as often as I do,” he continued.
