Electrical Fire Strands Boston’s Rail Commuters

The city’s entire commuter rail system was shut down by fire for an hour Friday at the end of the morning rush, stranding thousands of commuters in trains and tunnels, a transit official said.

Listo Fisher, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said the fire broke out at the authority’s control center about 9:30 a.m. and forced evacuation of the building and the cutting of cables controlling communications and signals on the citywide system.

Workers began restoring power about 30 minutes later and full service resumed at about 10:30 a.m.

Bob Devin, another MBTA spokesman, said there were “no injuries, no panic.”

Several trains were stalled well within tunnels and others on elevated portions of track. A few trains were within 100 yards of stations but passengers were kept on board until service was restored.

Kathy Manson, who was aboard one of the trains, said “some people looked a little tense, but most people were just reading and relaxing.”

Buses were sent to outlying terminals to transport stranded commuters.

Fisher said it appeared the fire broke out in electrical equipment in the control room located in the basement of the authority’s headquarters.

Firefighter Bill Murphy, a department spokesman, said the blaze was quickly brought under control.

South Station, one of the city’s major commuter intersections, was left in near darkness. A sign advertising cigarettes provided the only illumination in the building.