MBTA to temporarily close Davis Square station

Trains Will Pass Through Without Stopping; T Will Provide Shuttle Bus Service to Porter Square for Red Line Passengers; Bus Service Not Affected            

By George P. Hassett

  Somerville Fire Department and Inspectional Services officials ordered the MBTA to close the rapid transit station to foot traffic Monday, until the T corrects problems with water seepage and communications equipment.
  ‚ÄúBasically, we‚Äôve completely lost the police communications lines we‚Äôd need for any type of T-related emergency,‚Äù said Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher. ‚ÄúWe‚Äôre also down to only one Fire Department communications channel, and there‚Äôs clearly water in other electrical conduits and equipment in the area.  Given the degree of corrosion and the amount of water seepage in the electrical systems, we don‚Äôt think it‚Äôs prudent to allow the public into the station until the situation is corrected.‚Äù       

    The station will operate normally until the last train passes through the station at approximately 1:15 a.m. When Red Line operations resume on Tuesday morning at approximately 5:00 a.m., the Davis Square station will be closed to transit passengers.   Red Line trains will pass through the station without stopping to pick up or discharge passengers. MBTA passengers seeking to connect to the Red Line at Davis Square will be directed to shuttle bus service connecting Davis Square to both inbound and outbound Red Line service at Porter Square.
     Although all MBTA bus service will continue to operate normally through Davis Square, the Red Line stop will remain closed until MBTA officials implement a plan to correct the hazards identified by the Somerville Fire Department and City‚Äôs electrical inspectors, said city officials. 
    Somerville officials first responded to the station at 2 p.m. Monday when they received a report that a police communications relay was no longer operating.  Entering the underground equipment room that housed the police switch, fire department communications lines and other electrical equipment, City officials found corroded equipment lockers with water running down the walls and pooling on the floor.
    The first officials on the scene called for the Fire Department and electrical inspectors from the City‚Äôs Inspectional Services Department, who summoned MBTA officials for a detailed joint inspection of the station.
     By 8:45 p.m., city and MBTA officials agreed to establish fire and police watches until the station closed at 1:15 a.m., and then to keep the station closed to public foot traffic once the T resumed Red Line operations in the morning.
    ‚ÄúThe MBTA safety and operations team are now working to assess and address the situation,‚Äù said Kelleher.  ‚ÄúWe‚Äôll be meeting with them tomorrow morning to go over their plan ‚Äì and to work out a schedule for reopening the station to passengers.  In the meantime, there shouldn‚Äôt be any problem letting the trains move straight through the station without stopping ‚Äì and we‚Äôll be working closely with MBTA officials to monitor the situation.‚Äù