Commuter Rail Trains Halted Due to Gas Leak

Wellesley Police are reporting that crews have struck a gas main on Rockland Street, and Commuter Rail trains have been halted.

Passengers traveling on the MBTA's Framingham-Worcester commuter rail line this afternoon are likely to see some delays after a gas main was struck in Wellesley.  According to an email alert from the Wellesley Police Department, a gas main was struck on Rockland Street. As a result, all CSX and MBTA trains on the Framingham-Worcester line through Wellesley have been halted.  The Framingham-Worcester commuter rail line passes through seven local stations: Westborough, Grafton, Southborough, Ashland, Framingham, Natick and West Natick.  The MBTA issued an alert saying the P515 1 p.m. outbound train was experiencing 45- to 60-minute delays due to a "fire emergency." The train was being held at Auburndale station.  No other MBTA alerts have …

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UPDATED: Monday Morning Delays for Framingham/Worcester Line

Several inbound trains, including the P506, P508, P510 and P512, faced delays.

Updated 11:05 a.m.  According to Cassie French, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail, this morning's delays started with an electrical shortage on train P506 (6:35 a.m. inbound train out of Worcester).  "This caused the crew to shut down train control and therefore, the cab signal was stopped as well. Then, the CSX train dispatcher was unable to display his light that tells the crew their train can proceed on the tracks. Because the cab signal was shut off and the CSX dispatcher was unable to give the go ahead signal, the crew had to fill out paperwork for approval to continue," French said in an email.  In addition to the mechanical failure, a medical emergency involving a 26-year-old woman occurred on the P506 train in …

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Train Honoring Vets Rolls Through Westborough Today

The special MBTA train will ride through commuter rail communities over two months.

  UPDATE, June 18, 2012, 2:17 p.m. — A spokesman for the MBTA sent an email to Westborough Patch informing that the MBTA Gold Star memorial train is scheduled to roll through the Westborough commuter rail station at 5:12 p.m. The email also contained an apology for any inconvenience from the June 13 scheduled run, which was cancelled at the last minute due to technical problems.   June 13, 2012, 2 p.m. — The MBTA Gold Star memorial train will run through Westborough and stop at the Westborough commuter rail station at 5:03  and 6:32 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13. The train is red, white and blue and covered in over 150 gold stars, each with the name of a Massachusetts serviceman or woman who lost his or her life in the Iraq or Afghanistan …

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Ron Goodenow

10:23 am on Thursday, June 14, 2012

Thanks...all not well at MBTA. Budget crisis + they cannot seem to get the company they spent a zillion on to build the rail cars which should have started rolling off the line pretty soon. The company had never built cars like this before but according to the Globe it was 'well wired' in Massachusetts [hmm...I wonder what that means? :-) ] and put in a lower bid than more reliable companies. So …   more ›

Police Notes

Man Charged With Breaking Into Van at T Station

The man admitted to breaking into a van at the Westborough parking lot and taking a GPS.

  A Worcester man was arrested after breaking into a van at the Westborough commuter rail station yesterday afternoon. Westborough police were called to the MBTA station parking lot on Smith Parkway at 4:52 p.m. on Thursday, June 7. A woman reportedly said that a man with a black hat and cane was trying to break into cars in the lot. The woman stayed on the phone with police until they arrived and proceeded to point out the suspect, who was then sitting on a bench on the westbound side of the rail tracks. According to a statement from Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon, Officer Dean Paine located a GPS inside a plastic bag that was next to the suspect. Paine also found numerous tools and a claw hammer tucked into the man’s belt. A Toyota…

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: June 7

Beginning on July 1, commuter rail travelers will pay more to hop aboard in Westborough.

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day. What will you be doing today?   1. New fares for the MBTA go into effect on July 1. Click here to see the new rates. 2. The Westborough Food Pantry welcomes donations. Food, paper or personal care products may be donated on Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and again at 7  to 8 p.m. The pantry is located in the rear of the Forbes Community Building, 9 East Main Street. 3. The Municipal Building Committee will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. in room 23 of the Forbes Municipal Building. This meeting is free and open to the public. 4. The Westborough Senior Center Lunch …

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McGovern Fights for Commuter Benefits

Encouraging public transportation has many benefits, the congressman says.

  US Rep. James McGovern, D-MA, visited the Grafton MBTA station on May 15 to make the case for extending tax benefits for commuters. “It shouldn’t cost more to travel to work than your paycheck,’’ he said, his comments at times drowned out by the rumble of the commuter trains. Currently, commuters who drive to work and park are eligible for up to $240 in pre-tax benefits per month from their employer. By contrast, in January 2012 commuters taking mass transit such as commuter rail, subways, buses or vanpools saw their benefit drop from $230 to $125 a month. Failing to extend equivalent tax benefits to commuters only encourages people to use their own vehicles, which creates gridlock on the roads, adds to pollution and requires more fuel …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: April 24

Will the price of gas give you less indigestion this week?

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day. What will you be doing today?   1. Gas prices are coming down, so says AAA Southern New England. AAA’s April 23 survey of prices in Massachusetts found self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $3.859 per gallon, four cents less than a week ago and nine cents higher than a month ago. The current price is the same as the national average for self serve unleaded of $3.85. A year ago at this time the Massachusetts average price was $3.82. 2. Today begins National Scoop the Poop Week. That was a subtle reminder, wasn’t it? 3. Smartphone ticketing is coming to the MBTA this …

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Delays Pile Up On Commuter Rail Due to Rain

High water conditions have made for a rough commute.

If you decided to take the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line this morning, it may not have been a great start to your week.  Due to high water conditions near the tracks, a number of trains on the line faced delays this morning, some as much as 50 minutes, according to alerts from the MBTA.  According to Andrea Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), flooding caused single-track operations through Natick as well as speed restrictions.  The MBCR had five pumps working this morning to try to remove water as quickly as possible, Wheeler said. Another train following the delayed trains was set up to help handle additional passengers, the MBCR said. As of 8 a.m., the water conditions had …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: April 16

If we call it Marathon Monday, does that insinuate that the day will go on for a very long time?

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day. What will you be doing today?   1. Happy Boston Marathon Day! Today is the 116th running and it is expected to draw a half million spectators. 2. With thousands of fans expected to attend various Marathon Monday events throughout the Boston area, the MBTA will operate additional service to accommodate ridership. The commuter rail service in Westborough will operate on its regular weekday schedule. Due to the dramatically increased ridership, customers should expect delays throughout the day. For service information, including all delays, check T-Alerts. 3. There will …

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No More '12-Rides' For Commuter Rail Passengers

The passes are being replaced.

The MBTA is doing away with 12-ride passes, which – riders contend in Boston.com – can mean more than just 12 rides. The MBTA will stop making available the passes, which had a 6-month validity period, and replace them with 10-ride passes, good for 30 days, according to Boston.com. The retiring of the 12-rides comes on the heels of the decision to fare hikes and service cuts on the T last week.

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