MTA work train catches fire at Astor Place subway station; 14 injured, trains delayed
NYC subway train fire at Astor Place station causes severe delays
An MTA work train caught fire at the Astor Place station in Manhattan, leaving at least 14 people injured, including firefighters and transit workers. FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses reports.
NEW YORK - An early-morning fire at the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan left multiple people injured and temporarily suspended service on the 4 and 6 lines, which resumed with significant delays.
What we know:
According to the FDNY, a fire broke out on a southbound 4 train car at around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said it was a work train being used to vacuum the tracks. It was not a regular passenger train.
Eight MTA workers and six firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
The FDNY said at one point over 141 fire and EMS personnel were on the scene, but the situation had since quieted down.
A northbound passenger train was pulling into the station at the same time the fire started. All riders were evacuated safely with no injuries reported.
Subway service impact
Local perspective:
As of 7 a.m., 4/5/6 trains were running with "severe delays in both directions after FDNY concluded an investigation at Astor Place," the MTA said, but service has been improving.
As a result of the fire, 4 and 6 trains were temporarily suspended in both directions between Grand Central-42nd Street and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
MTA Subway Superintendent Gerald Smith said crews were aiming to restore service in time for the morning rush hour, despite residual delays.
"As soon as the fire department clears the train, we should be able to move that train because it's an electrical unit and get it out of the way relatively quickly," he said. "There will be residual delays, but we are actually in place to start morning service, rush hour traffic. New York needs to work with us, but we'll get it running right away."
Click here for the latest MTA service updates.
"Sounded like something exploded"
What they're saying:
One commuter waiting on the platform described the scene as the Astor Place station started filling with smoke.
"It sounded like something exploded, and then there was just so much smoke, more and more. I was like, ‘Whoa, I've got to get out,'" Cassian Man told FOX 5 NY.
FDNY Assistant Chief Thomas Currao said the work train was being used to clean the tracks at the time the fire started.
"It pulls up the oil and debris from the tracks. We think that might have possibly been one of the areas where the ignition occurred," Currao said.
The Source: This story contains information from the FDNY and MTA.