UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) — Disrupted subway service on several lines could impact the Friday morning commute for travelers following a partial train derailment on the Upper West Side on Thursday afternoon.
MTA officials said the first car of a 1 train made contact with a disabled train that was vandalized just north of the 96th Street station around 3 p.m., causing the first car of the passenger train to derail.
At least 26 people, mostly passengers, suffered minor injuries, but the lasting impact will be felt by commuters trying to get to work or school on Friday.
In a press conference on Thursday, MTA officials said they were hoping to restore service by Friday morning for rush hour, but said they could “not guarantee it.”
Crystal Cranmore has the latest details.
“We are also preparing to make repairs to the train that derailed, move it to its storage facility, inspect the tracks, and make any needed repairs to the tracks and infrastructure,” NYCT Subway said in a post on X.
Service to the 1/2/3 train line will be partially suspended at many stations in Manhattan through at least the end of Thursday, according to the MTA.
Here are the latest subway disruptions:
-No 1 trains between 137 St-City College and Times Sq-42 St
-No 2 trains on the West Side of Manhattan
-No 3 trains between 135 St and Times Sq-42 St
-Some 4/5 trains are running local in Brooklyn, and some 5 trains are running local in the Bronx.
Officials say to expect severe delays on all of these trains, and consider taking nearby subway or bus alternatives. You can follow the latest updates on the MTA’s website.
It all stems from what officials described as a slow speed, minor derailment that occurred as a passenger subway train clipped a disabled train while leaving the station.
MTA and FDNY officials brief the public after a minor subway train derailment in Manhattan Thursday.
NYC Transit Authority President Richard Davey said the disabled train had been “vandalized” after a number of emergency cords had been pulled by someone, which is why it was still stuck at the station.
About 300 people were evacuated from the train that derailed, and firefighters also evacuated a few hundred people from a third train that wasn’t involved but had to stop in the tunnel because of the collision. They were walked to the 96th St. station.
“Thankfully there were no serious injuries,” Davey said. “Obviously two trains should not be bumping into each other. We will get into the bottom of that.”
While the MTA described the derailment as “minor,” it was anything but for the passengers on board who were left stunned and frightened.
Passengers on the train told Eyewitness News that everyone was screaming and it was very scary when it happened.
Anthony Carlo continues our team coverage of the subway train derailment.
They said there was crying until the fire department arrived and broke the doors to help the passengers out.
Others said despite the scare, it was still as calm of a situation as it could have been given the circumstances.
“People were asking that everybody was OK, it was a good New Yorker experience,” Danny White said. “It was as good as it could have been.”
The NTSB will be launching a team to investigate the collision of the two trains, and are expected to arrive Friday morning.
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