Subway Trains Rerouted As MTA Probes Noise On Midtown Tracks

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Loud noises on the 6 line in Midtown Manhattan spooked straphangers and rerouted some subway trains Wednesday morning. Riders on Twitter reported booms and flashes of light after a northbound 6 train left the 59th Street station, with some saying they sounded like explosions or gunshots

The commotion caused riders to scatter away from the platform, according to tweets from witnesses. But its cause is still unclear — there was no smoke, fire or anything else indicating there was an explosion, MTA spokesman Shams Tarek said. The two trains in the station were emptied of passengers and taken to a yard, Tarek said.

The NYPD said the racket appeared to result from "an electrical/mechanical issue," while New York City Transit initially said it may have been caused by something coming into contact with the train.

The ordeal briefly forced some 6 trains to run express between 125th Street and Grand Central Terminal before service resumed with delays in both directions around 9:40 a.m., NYC Transit said. The agency also warned of delays on the 4 and 5 lines.

The incident came amid an already rough morning commute. B and Q trains ran with delays after a stalled train was moved at DeKalb Avenue, and northbound C trains were delayed because of a signal problem at 145th Street, the MTA said.

Hudson Yards-bound 7 express trains were also delayed because of a switch problem at Willets Point, according to the MTA.

(Lead image: Photo by David Allen/Patch)