Lawmakers To Examine Recent MBTA, Commuter Rail Delays

BOSTON (AP) - After a rough winter, the MBTA and the company that runs its commuter rail service will be put on the hot seat at the Statehouse.

The Legislature's transportation committee has scheduled an oversight hearing Tuesday to examine the breakdowns and delays that have plagued the transit system in recent months.

Perhaps the most notable failure occurred Feb. 28, when a Worcester-bound train broke down in Newton, resulting in a four-hour ordeal for passengers trying to get home. Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, which operates commuter rail under a contract with the T, later said it made a mistake by returning to service a locomotive that had a mechanical problem earlier in the day.

The MBTA has said it will consider all options when MBCR's contract expires in 2013, including a takeover of commuter rail.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)