Commuters on Manhattan's Upper East Side experienced unexpected delays following a subway incident this morning. According to CBS News New York, a southbound 6 subway train struck a piece of metal around 9:39 a.m. near the 68th Street and Lexington Avenue stop, sparking an electrical fire. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) confirmed that it caused passengers to be stuck on the train for almost an hour before a rescue train transferred them to the 59th Street and Lexington Avenue stop at approximately 10:30 a.m.
The mishap not only affected those onboard the southbound train but also caused widespread disruptions throughout the subway system. Downtown 5 trains were forced to run via the 2 line from 149th Street-Grand Concourse to Nevins Street. To quickly mitigate the congestion, 6 trains ran express in both directions from Grand Central to 125th Street. PIX11 reported that as a result, riders should have expected delays on the 2 and 4 lines due to the track-sharing that ensued.
Passengers, totaling around 500 according to MTA, were evacuated and boarded on a rescue train that headed toward 68th Street, noted PIX11. Subway service slowly began to return to its regular routing with the No. 6 train making local stops from Grand Central-42nd Street to 125th Street as of 11:45 a.m. Commuters seeking alternate routes were advised to consider N, Q, R, or W trains for service into Manhattan.
Frustration was palpable among the affected commuters. "Passengers had been stuck on the train for nearly an hour before they were successfully removed," reported CBS News New York. Regular updates on the evolving situation were provided by MTA, and for those needing to travel between skipped stops, the agency suggested utilizing the M101, M102, or M103 bus services as a temporary solution.
