Transit woes mount for Boston's beleaguered subway riders

BOSTON (AP) — For Boston subway riders, it seems every week brings a new tale of transit woe.

Runaway trains. Subway cars belching smoke and fire. Fatal accidents. Malfunctioning station escalators. Rush hour trains running on weekend schedules. Brand-new subway cars pulled from service. Derailed construction vehicles.

The repeated chaos of the nation’s oldest subway system has stretched the nerves of riders, prompted a probe by the Federal Transit Administration and worried political leaders.

“It’s enraging. Everything that we’re doing trying to build more affordable housing, or empower our schools, bring jobs to Boston — it all relies on people being able to get around,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat who promised to “Free the T,” said in a radio appearance on GBH News, referring to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Wu’s comments came less than a month before a 43-year-old Orange Line subway train caught fire as it was crossing a bridge north of Boston on July 21, prompting one passenger to jump into the Mystic River and others to scramble out of windows.

And Aug. 3, transit officials announced what they called an “unprecedented” step of shuttering the Orange Line entirely for 30 days to allow for extensive track and signal work.

Two days later, MBTA officials unveiled another four-week shutdown — this time for a recently opened section of the Green Line to allow for additional construction work.

Gov. Charlie Baker, whose legacy is tied to the performance of the T, called the Orange Line fire “a colossal failure” and welcomed the FTA investigation.

But Baker said things aren’t all bad. The Republican said more than 85% of daily rapid transit trips are on time, with a somewhat lower rate for bus rides and slightly higher rate for commuter rail...