MBTA Blue Line Partially Shut Down By Power Outage During Morning Commute

BOSTON (CBS/AP) – Part of the MBTA's Blue Line was shut down during the morning rush hour Wednesday because of a power problem near Government Center.

The T used shuttle buses to move riders between the Maverick and Bowdoin stations.

The MBTA said electricity was restored around 9:30 a.m. and regular service resumed around 10 a.m., but it was too late for many commuters who were late for work.

"It was completely packed with people," commuter Anne Patrick of East Boston told WBZ. "We didn't know where to go and there weren't enough buses. I went and read a book for an hour and now I'm back trying to figure it out. "

An MBTA spokesman said three trains were on the track at the time of the outage. One was at a station, and another was moved back to a station so passengers could exit. A third train was just outside the Government Center stop and 200 passengers were safely evacuated.

"The power disruption was triggered by the failure of a piece of equipment on the train," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo told WBZ-TV in an email.

This is the latest in a series of issues for the MBTA's subway service this summer as fares went up July 1.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)