FTA orders MBTA to conduct safety briefings

The Federal Transit Administration last week ordered the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to begin conduct a "stand-down," or a new series of safety briefings for workers following a “continued failure” to prevent runaway trains.

The stand-down, which took effect July 30, prevents any MBTA worker from moving trains in maintenance yards or shops until they attend a special safety briefing, Boston public radio station WGBH reported. The transit agency failed to respond to a prior order issued in June to rein in a pattern of disabled trains rolling out of control.

The briefing must provide all workers who may operate or secure a disabled train, with an overview of three recent runaway train incidents: Cabot Yard on May 28, Braintree Station on May 30 and again near Braintree on July 25. No one was injured in the incidents.

MBTA must also brief workers on “policies and procedures that prevent unintended or uncontrolled movements,” FTA officials said in the order. MBTA executives are now required to brief the FTA on its progress at least daily until all applicable workers have received the briefing.

FTA Chief Safety Officer Joe DeLorenzo addressed a July 28 letter to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak regarding safety concerns.

The federal agency “determined that a combination of unsafe conditions and practices exist such that there is a substantial risk of death or personal injury,” DeLorenzo wrote in the letter, obtained by NBC Boston.

The transit agency and FTA agree on prioritizing safety, said MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo in a prepared statement.

“Fully supporting the FTA's ongoing scrutiny of safety-related processes and practices, the MBTA is committed to providing the training and tools necessary for employees to create and maintain a culture in which safety is prioritized,” Pesaturo said.