One commuter told NBC10 Boston Tuesday

A ride home on the MBTA Commuter Rail turned into an hourslong ordeal for passengers on the Providence Line Tuesday night.

Dan Brogan said he spent nearly two hours sitting in a dark train, then had to get out and walk along the tracks to the Ruggles stop in Boston, only to find the delays weren't over.

"The lights were off. There was no circulating air at this point," Brogan said. "It was getting really stuffy, really hot."

But stepping outside didn't mean they were going straight home.

"We got off in the middle of a dark tunnel, then walked on the rails itself to hop on at the Ruggles station," he said.

Transit officials say the train had a mechanical issue caused by fall leaves, which can create a slippery film on the tracks and cause problems with the wheels while braking.

When Brogan finally made it to Ruggles, he says everyone thought the worst was behind them. It wasn't.

"Another hour and a half goes by," Brogan said. "Folks are just stranded on the staircase, stranded on the platform, no clear messaging, communication, no overhead announcements, anything like that."

Brogan had just left a MassDOT conference where the discussion focused on improving rail reliability.

"I think this can be a learning opportunity for the MBTA and ourselves," he said.

The MBTA says passengers were safely transferred to another train.

Brogan said the part that stuck with him wasn't just how long he waited, but how little riders knew about what was happening next.