Track Fire Breaks Out At Upper West Side Station, FDNY Says

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A track fire broke out in an Upper West Side subway station Wednesday afternoon, an FDNY spokesman said. The fire caused service changes on the 2 and 3 lines, MTA officials said.

The fire broke out at the station on West 96th Street and Broadway after an insulated cable made contact with the electrified third rail, an FDNY spokesman said. The contact cause fire, sparks and smoke, fire officials said.

Firefighters arrive on the scene around 4:30 and had the fire under control by 4:45 p.m. Nobody was injured by the fire, an FDNY spokesman said.

The fire reportedly caused passengers on a train entering the station panic, according to witness accounts on social media.

"Hundreds of people just rushed off the train at 96th street, someone got trampled as a result. What was the cause? A spark in the subway tunnel," one witness said on Twitter.

Trains on the 2 and 3 lines ran with delays and made local stops between West 96th and 72nd streets while firefighters operated at the scene, MTA officials said. Normal train service was restored shortly after 5 p.m., according to the transit authority.

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