Local News

MBTA Transit Police are investigating after someone left a dinghy on the commuter rail tracks near Porter Wednesday.

When he took charge of the MBTA last year, General Manager Phil Eng emphasized the need for “innovative solutions” in Greater Boston’s public transit. 

Still, Eng’s game plan probably didn’t account for the visionary who plunked a small boat on the commuter rail tracks between Cambridge and Belmont early on Wednesday.

According to MBTA Transit Police, “unknown person/s” left the dinghy on the Fitchburg Line right of way around 12:15 a.m. 

In a post on X, transit police said the commuter rail ended up striking the boat, though the train was not damaged in the collision. The boat apparently didn’t fare as well — TPD photos show the boat parked on the platform at Porter, a large gash in its side. 

There were no reported injuries, but transit police said detectives are looking into the incident. And needless to say, social media users were quick to crack jokes about the unlikely scenario, from “dude where’s my boat?” quips to riffs on the “Train on the Water, Boat on a Track” song from “Family Guy.” 

“Guess someone mistook Porter for a portage,” @MattRobare wrote. 

“Even a boat without water could probably still get me to work faster than the redline,” @Its_Shananigans commented.