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The sleeper car attendant said that he was seated inside sleeper car 2994 when the impact pushed him onto his knees. He sustained a contusion to his right knee. After confirming that the passengers on the sleeper car were uninjured, he retrieved his flashlight and proceeded to the forward coach cars. With the help of firefighters, he assisted and guided passengers off the train. Because of the dense smoke inside the tunnel, he left the accident site about 15 minutes later. He stated that his training in emergency and evacuation procedures proved valuable during the accident evacuation.
MBTA Train 906 Exits—Control car 1614 (lead car) and passenger cars 1525, 302, 326, 347, and 333 did not derail following the collision. The passengers exited from the doors at both ends of the cars. All wheels on passenger car 315 had derailed, and the car sustained massive damage. It remained upright against the stairwell housing between tracks 1 and 3. All emergency windows were removed. The west end of the car was crushed and the exit door blocked; at the east end of the car, the exit door to the platform was opened. The unoccupied locomotive 1073 was destroyed. (See figure 4)
Amtrak Train 66 Exits—The collision destroyed the two-unit locomotive (272 and 366) of Amtrak train 66. However, the locomotive engineer's side of the cab was intact on unit 272, and both the locomotive engineer and apprentice engineer were evacuated from that side. (See figure 5) The head end material handling car (1551) and the baggage car (1217) held no passengers or crew. Coach car 21248 derailed and was leaning at a 40-degree angle. The exit doors were jammed shut at one end and destroyed at the other end. The emergency windows on the sides offered the only possible exits. (See figure 6) Coach car 21190 derailed onto track 1 and was leaning at a 20-degree angle. Emergency windows had been removed and were inside the coach. The vestibule door was hanging open at one end; the other end was destroyed. Coach car 21070 was upright with all wheels derailed. Emergency windows had been removed and were inside the coach. The stairway at one end was slightly damaged, and the stairway at the other end was destroyed. One end of dining car 20238 derailed, and the exterior of the car sustained minor damage. Coach car 4702 and sleeper car 2994 did not derail, and the exteriors were not visibly damaged. The baggage car (1188) and the material handling car (1552), which held no passengers or crew, sustained no damage.
Emergency Preparedness—The city of Boston has a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) that combines the four phases of emergency management mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Last updated in September 1989, the CEMP was activated for this accident.
The fire department has an ongoing training program in cooperation with the MBTA and the local railroads. It periodically conducts drills with MBTA safety personnel in various stations to familiarize the first alarm and rescue companies with the fire safety equipment and facilities. During the drills, fire department personnel inspect the standpipe system, the smoke control system, the elevators and ramps for the handicapped, and other physical features.
The city of Boston conducts disaster drills at 6-month intervals, and the participants include personnel from the police and fire departments, the civil defense agency, and hospital and rescue ambulance services. The June 1990 drill, in cooperation with the MBTA, featured a mock hazardous materials incident and included exercises in extricating passengers from trains, trolleys, and buses.
