The MBTA apologized to passengers after a shuttle bus driver mistakenly took riders to Stoneham instead of North Station.

The MBTA issued an official apology on Friday after a shuttle bus driver mistakenly took passengers to Stoneham on Thursday morning. The incident occurred during the first day of an 11-day Orange Line suspension between Oak Grove and Back Bay stations for maintenance. Instead of heading toward Downtown Boston, the driver took the bus 10 miles out of the way, prompting passengers to provide directions to reach North Station. Governor Maura Healey defended the overall closure as a necessary step for long-term improvements to the transit system. The MBTA confirmed that the matter has been addressed with the shuttle bus vendor and the driver is no longer working on this specific service. Passengers reported that the bus was packed and that the driver failed to use the designated bus and HOV lanes, adding to the frustration of the commute.

Sources

• WCVB
  'Absolutely ridiculous': Bus mistakenly shuttles passengers to North Shore, instead of North Station
• The Boston Globe
  MBTA apologizes to Orange Line shuttle passengers after they were driven north of Boston
• NBC Boston
  ‘Unacceptable': MBTA Orange Line shuttle bus took riders miles in wrong direction
• Boston.com
  MBTA shuttle bus bound for North Station accidentally ends up in Stoneham
• People.com
  Bus Mistakenly Shuttles Passengers 10 Miles in Wrong Direction to Similarly Named Destination