A parked J train on storage tracks beneath Lower Manhattan unexpectedly started rolling over the weekend, and transit officials say a group of teens is likely to blame. The incident briefly tangled downtown service and kicked off an NYPD investigation after the car was found fouling a switch near Broad Street and had to be stopped with the emergency brake, inspected, and then returned to service.
According to the New York Daily News, a transit worker on Saturday first noticed roughly 15 to 20 teenagers on the Broad Street platform filming a parked J train, then realized the car on the storage tracks south of Broad St had been nudged just enough to foul a switch. When the worker boarded the idle train, it started rolling backward and reportedly passed a red signal before the employee yanked the emergency brake and brought it to a stop. The MTA’s rail control center held several downtown trains while crews checked the car, and the NYPD said the case is under investigation with no arrests so far.
Repeat problem, prior incidents
The episode adds to a growing list of subway break‑ins and unauthorized rides that have rattled transit officials. In February, ABC7 New York reported that teens managed to board and operate an unoccupied R train in Sunset Park. News 12 detailed the subsequent arrests and the MTA’s talks about technical fixes and new locks to keep people from getting into trains that are out of service.
What officials found
Police were called to Broad St around 12:30 p.m., the New York Daily News reported, and investigators told the paper they discovered operator cabins that were not locked and a mid‑train conductor door left open. The outlet reported that crews inspected the J car on the storage track, cleared it for use, and moved it back into service, while the NYPD stressed that the investigation is still active.
Riders and next steps
Riders in Lower Manhattan dealt with short delays while workers fixed the fouled switch and repositioned the car. With several recent break‑ins still fresh, transit officials and union leaders say the MTA will have to take another hard look at how it secures out‑of‑service trains to keep people from getting inside, as News 12 reported.
