The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority removed one of its Orange Line trains from service on Friday after a person reportedly licked it, according to a spokesperson.The MBTA said a passenger on the train reported the alleged incident to a transit ambassador at the Tufts Medical Center Station.The southbound train was taken out of service out of an abundance of caution, according to the transit authority.The MBTA Transit Police Department was notified of the alleged incident.It is not clear what part of the train the person allegedly licked.The incident happened just days after five MBTA employees were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 5 Investigates learned that three of those employees were MBTA bus drivers.Effective last week, the MBTA implemented rear-door boarding on all buses and trolleys at street-level stops on the Green Line and Mattapan Line in an effort to support social distancing. In addition, the MBTA implemented new protocols last week to clean and disinfect all high-contact surfaces on buses during mid-day layover periods. In an effort to protect the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and customers, this new protocol is in addition to the daily cleaning and disinfecting of all MBTA fleet vehicles that takes place once every twenty-four hours. These protocols also extend to all high-contact surfaces at subway stations throughout the MBTA, which are disinfected every four hours.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority removed one of its Orange Line trains from service on Friday after a person reportedly licked it, according to a spokesperson.

The MBTA said a passenger on the train reported the alleged incident to a transit ambassador at the Tufts Medical Center Station.


The southbound train was taken out of service out of an abundance of caution, according to the transit authority.

The MBTA Transit Police Department was notified of the alleged incident.

It is not clear what part of the train the person allegedly licked.

The incident happened just days after five MBTA employees were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 5 Investigates learned that three of those employees were MBTA bus drivers.

Effective last week, the MBTA implemented rear-door boarding on all buses and trolleys at street-level stops on the Green Line and Mattapan Line in an effort to support social distancing.

In addition, the MBTA implemented new protocols last week to clean and disinfect all high-contact surfaces on buses during mid-day layover periods. In an effort to protect the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and customers, this new protocol is in addition to the daily cleaning and disinfecting of all MBTA fleet vehicles that takes place once every twenty-four hours. These protocols also extend to all high-contact surfaces at subway stations throughout the MBTA, which are disinfected every four hours.