Switch Problem Causes Rush Hour Chaos On A, C, E, F, M, J, And G Trains
April 15, 2019, 12:24 p.m.
It's Monday, and it is wet, which means a not insignificant chunk of the subway system is having a meltdown.
It's Monday, and it is wet, which means a not insignificant chunk of the subway system is having a meltdown. This morning's luckless straphangers included those traveling into Manhattan on the A, C, E trains between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well as anyone going west on the J/M line during that time, and also some folks naive enough to think they might ride an F or G train through the chaos. In this economy!?
I have been stalled on an A train for 40 minutes—second day in a row of severe delays. And they’re about to raise the fees. @MTA
— Andrew Durbin (@andrewdurb1n) April 15, 2019
58 minutes. Made it one stop. Got off.
— Andrew Durbin (@andrewdurb1n) April 15, 2019
According to the MTA, the cause of dysfunction was a switch problem in the vicinity of Canal Street, which led to commuters being stuck underground for upwards of 40 minutes. Some then found themselves dumped into dangerously overcrowded stations, while others say their trains magically transformed into a different, also dysfunctional train.
after getting stuck for 30 minutes in between 2 stations my C train suddenly turned into an express F . transferred at Jay St Metrotech in the hopes of taking the R & there were so many people shoved into one narrow stairwell that it felt like i was drowning!
fix! the! subway!! pic.twitter.com/HD9Y3Zcyyj— paris martineau (@parismartineau) April 15, 2019
Would it kill the MTA to have their trains and signals working properly for rush hour on a Monday morning? Wtf man. Stupid late to work. @NYCTSubway
— Ginel (@gclefm) April 15, 2019
@MTA this a train has been stuck in the tunnel for half an hour. This is ridiculous. They keep announcing that normal service has resumed but it clearly hasn't because we are still stuck here.
— PunyGod1185 (@PunyGod1185) April 15, 2019
Unlike this weekend's bout of MTA-induced suffering, those who survived the crunch did not even get to gaze upon a blooming cherry blossom as reward for their perseverance. Instead, they probably walked into a dreary office building, nearly an hour late and possibly $20 poorer than they were when they left this morning.
Hey @MTA what the refund policy for the fare i just paid but had to loose because after 20 mins of being on an A train that moved 1 stop, i had to take an @Uber to get to work?
— Naomi Peña (@naomi325) April 15, 2019
Good morning. We understand your frustration. Unfortunately, NYC Transit does not reimburse customers for delays. We encourage customers to ask station agents for a courtesy pass for service on another train line or bus. ^DRM
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) April 15, 2019
By noon, the switch problem had been corrected, the agency said, though there continued to be residual delays on the A, C, E, B, D, F, M, G and R trains. On the bright side, springtime is bringing all sorts of natural beauty to the system:
@MTA y'all really gotta do better pic.twitter.com/bnCfeS0rPV
— tas🥀 (@tasnimthossain) April 15, 2019