A bombshell report examining MBTA track safety revealed major flaws in the transit agency’s record, including including inspection teams that were unqualified, inexperienced, or both, and workers “not completely understanding” their jobs.

Workers responsible for track inspections in the MBTA’s Maintenance of Way (MOW) organization also had “inadequate training,” according to an independent report focused on track maintenance safety released on Thursday.

“This is about ensuring that the workforce — even at the entry level, all the way to the top — have the proper training, qualifications and clear direction from management,” MBTA GM and CEO Phillip Eng said during a press conference announcing release of the report.

“I continue to challenge the leadership team to take a hard look in the mirror,” he added. “As an agency, we need to evolve. The status quo is unacceptable. And this is about strengthening our organization and empowering and building up the workforce that enables us to do just that.”

Two reports were released Thursday on track maintenance safety: an independent review conducted by Carlson Transport Consulting LCC and an internal review by the MBTA Safety Department.

The investigations revealed deficiencies in track inspection processes, including inconsistencies in documentation and oversight reaching back years. Both concluded that improvements are needed in terms of leadership, standardizing procedures, increasing staffing and training, and clearly outlining roles and responsibilities.

“The first and primary cause is systemic in the form of lack of complete clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of positions within the MBTA’s Maintenance of Way organization, particularly System Repairpersons and Section Forepersons, regarding track inspections,” the independent report reads. “Contributing to the situation is the limited track maintenance experience of individuals with track inspection responsibility, inadequate training for these individuals…”

“The second category contributing to the problem is individuals within the MOW organization not completely understanding and/or fulfilling their responsibilities,” the report later states.

Addressing these two root causes “will go a long way toward addressing the identified issues,” according to the report.

In March, the Department of Public Utilities inspected the Red Line and found insufficient documentation of track repairs. This led the MBTA to commission an independent investigation into track inspection failures that prompted systemwide speed restrictions, many of which continue to this day.

Since safety restrictions were put in place in March, the MBTA has been taking measures to address track issues, including hiring seasoned veteran engineers and establishing standard operating procedures for inspections and documentation practices.