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Thousands Stranded as Fire Disrupts Metro-North Rail Service Thousands Stranded as Fire Disrupts Metro-North Rail Service
(about 2 hours later)
Metro-North Railroad service in and out of Grand Central Terminal was suspended on Tuesday night because of a fire in East Harlem near the train’s elevated tracks, affecting thousands of commuters. A large fire erupted below Metro-North Railroad tracks in East Harlem on Tuesday night, disrupting train service and leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded during the evening rush.
The disruption affected service on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines, said Meredith Daniels, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Trains were still running north of the site of the fire. Service was suspended to and from Grand Central Terminal, and it was unclear whether it would be restored by Wednesday morning. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said commuters should expect delays.
Ms. Daniels said that the railroad was sending structural engineers to inspect the tracks and that she had no estimate about when service would resume. She could not say specifically how many trains or passengers had been affected. The fire, at 119th Street and Park Avenue, was fueled in part by chemicals stored at a garden nursery that operated underneath the tracks, he said. The New York Fire Department said it was investigating reports of explosions, possibly set off by propane tanks at the site. Emergency officials received the call at 6:42 p.m., and fire officials said at 8:25 p.m. that a majority of the fire was under control. The cause remained under investigation, and no injuries were reported.
The New York Fire Department said at 8:25 p.m. that firefighters had a majority of the fire, at 119th Street and Park Avenue, under control. No injuries were reported. A beam and support buttresses were bent, and crews were expected to work through the night to make repairs, the governor said.
The department said that debris and construction trailers were on fire and that it had more than 160 firefighters and 39 units at the scene. The fire was reported at 6:42 p.m. “It’s an ambitious goal,” Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said during a news conference at the scene. “The best-case scenario is we could have a delayed commute.”
Ms. Daniels said the third rail, which powers the trains, had been shut off from 110th to 125th Street. Metro-North planned to run several trains over the tracks once construction was completed.
“The heat of the fire was extreme,” Mr. Cuomo said, adding that it was so intense that firefighters could hear bolts popping from the beams.
For commuters, the trip home was a string of misery as they tried to find alternate means of transportation.
At Grand Central Terminal, an announcement warned passengers that all northbound trains were “subject to indefinite delays at this time.”
The main hall was packed with commuters standing nearly shoulder to shoulder. Railroad officials said the disruption affected 30,000 to 40,000 commuters.
Nicole Clarke, of Rye, N.Y., said she waited at Grand Central for 30 minutes before abandoning plans to take Metro-North.Nicole Clarke, of Rye, N.Y., said she waited at Grand Central for 30 minutes before abandoning plans to take Metro-North.
“When I got to that place, it was a mess,” Ms. Clarke said. “They couldn’t tell us anything, nothing.”“When I got to that place, it was a mess,” Ms. Clarke said. “They couldn’t tell us anything, nothing.”
She said that she was taking a subway to Eastchester-Dyre Avenue and 233rd Street in the Bronx and that her husband would pick her up from there. She said what would ordinarily be a 45-minute trip would probably take two hours. She said that she was taking the subway to Eastchester-Dyre Avenue and 233rd Street in the Bronx and that her husband would pick her up from there.
At the terminal, an announcement warned passengers that all northbound trains were “subject to indefinite delays at this time.”
The main hall was packed with commuters standing nearly shoulder to shoulder and up and down the grand stairways.
Linda Vanderperre, who works on Wall Street and uses the Larchmont station, said she had been waiting over 90 minutes for what would be customarily a 40-minute commute.Linda Vanderperre, who works on Wall Street and uses the Larchmont station, said she had been waiting over 90 minutes for what would be customarily a 40-minute commute.
“It’s beyond ridiculous,” Ms. Vanderperre said. “This is the second day in a row it’s taken me over two hours to get home from Wall Street.”“It’s beyond ridiculous,” Ms. Vanderperre said. “This is the second day in a row it’s taken me over two hours to get home from Wall Street.”
She looked into using Uber, but she estimated it would cost her around $150 because of surge pricing. She looked into using Uber but estimated it would cost around $150 because of surge pricing.
“My husband is coming to pick me up if I’m still stuck here at 9,” she said.“My husband is coming to pick me up if I’m still stuck here at 9,” she said.
Three hotels near Grand Central Terminal said on Tuesday night that they had received numerous inquiries from stranded travelers but that, even before the fire, they were already booked.
The disruption affected service on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines, said Meredith Daniels, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Transportation authorities said train service was being provided to points north on the Hudson Line from the Yankees-East 153rd Street station and Marble Hill station. Service on the Harlem line was being provided from Wakefield, and trains on the New Haven line were running from Woodlawn Station to points east and from Stamford to New Haven.
Ms. Daniels said the third rail, which powers the trains, had been shut off from 110th to 125th Street. Passengers on two trains that were stuck on either side of the fire were evacuated, officials said.
Several passengers complained on Twitter about the lack of clear information and updates. Chris Polos, who commutes from Midtown Manhattan to his home in Scarsdale, said he had been waiting for 90 minutes.
“I wish I had more information,” he said. “The big thing is what’s the next step — is it going to be a couple hours or 20 minutes?”