Subway service partially restored following Upper West Side train collision and derailment
NEW YORK -- Subway service has been partially restored on Manhattan's Upper West Side, after two 1 trains collided and one derailed Thursday, causing at least two dozen minor injuries.
Limited service was available beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, with 1 and 3 trains running in two sections and shuttle buses serving stations between 96th Street and Times Square-42nd Street. 2 trains were still running on the 5 line.
MTA officials said crews were working around the clock to remove the trains from the tracks and restore service.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said "huge progress has been made." He expects a partial restoration some time Friday, though it's unclear exactly when that will happen.
"Nine out of the 10 cars of the passenger train that was involved in the collision have been re-railed and moved out of the area. That allows us to focus work on the remaining car, which is off the rails," he told reporters Friday morning.
Officials said due to the tight constraints of the tunnel and the low-lying area, the job is no easy feat. Crews were working to clear one of the trains with only inches to spare.
"The train is current sitting on ties, railroad ties -- wooden blocks. The last piece of this would be to bring in a new truck, put the car on top of it, and then roll it out," New York City Transit President Richard Davey said.
In the meantime, shuttle buses were deployed along the Broadway corridor, plus additional customer service personnel.
Lieber also said he's been in touch with Gov. Kathy Hochul as she monitors the situation, as well as National Transportation Safety Board investigations who are expected to arrive on the scene later in the day.
Passengers describe panicked scene
The dramatic collision sent passengers into a panic Thursday at the Broadway and 96th Street station.
"The children, they were crying, they were scared. People were crying, they were having panic attacks," one witness told CBS New York.
Officials said a northbound 1 train with about 300 passengers onboard collided with another 1 train that was out of service.
The MTA said it's unsure how or why the trains hit, but said the out-of-service train was vandalized and part of it was still in the station because it was being worked on by four crew members.
"This was low speed. We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure that whatever occurred doesn't happen again," Davey said Thursday.
Officials said the impact left at least 24 people with minor injuries.
What passengers saw as they exited the train had them speechless.
"The floors were all crunched up, the seats were really bad -- they didn't even look like seats no more -- the poles were all bent," one person said.
"I thought the concrete on top of the train was going to fall in. I thought the subway was going to fall in on us," said passenger Gregory King.
Impact to commute
Subway service was suspended on the 1 train between 137th Street and Times Square, along with the 3 train between 135th and Times Square. Additionally, 2 trains were running along the 5 line between 149th and Nevins streets.
The incident caused severe issues Thursday night for the many New Yorkers who use the 1/2/3 subway lines to head back home from work, school or just running errands.
People we spoke with said they'd have to plan ahead for their commute Friday.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to take the bus, because definitely I can't do the train," Upper West Side resident Cristina Garcia said.
"It happens, it's life. It's something you've got to go through living in New York City," said Pelham Parkway resident Shawn Reid.
Customers should check the MTA website or app for the latest service updates.