Train Trouble: Stalled 7 Train Holds Up Queens Commuters
/
Commuters attempt to get to the E train platform at Court Square in Long Island City. Photos courtesy of Euoi.
By Jonathan Sperling
A stalled train and an ill passenger along the No. 7 line spelled disaster for Queens commuters on Monday as residents, taking the morning rush, found themselves stranded en route to Manhattan.
Problems along the line began around 7:40 a.m. when a Flushing-Main Street-bound train had its brakes automatically activated at the Times Square-42nd Street station. By 8 a.m., the effects of the stalled train began to be felt by commuters in Queens, as Manhattan-bound No. 7 trains were forced to terminate at Queensborough Plaza.
Although the MTA began offering MetroCard holders accommodations at the Main Street, Willets Point and Woodside LIRR stations, it wasn’t enough to stave off commuter frustration.
“The 7 train stopped at Court Square and they stated there was a stalled train in front of us but the train would move shortly. As time went on, they kept changing their stance on it. First they mentioned that the 7 train will stop at Times Square. Then after about 10-15 mins of waiting in Court Square in the train they said that the train will not go to Manhattan,” Reddit user Euoi, a Long Island City resident, told the Eagle.
As No. 7 trains were brought to a standstill, the MTA recommended that commuters take the E, F, M, N, R or W trains for service between Manhattan and Queens. However, Euoi noted that “it was basically impossible to get down to the [E/M] platform while commuters were trying to enter and exit the trains that arrived at the platform. The E trains arriving there were already packed so I had to wait a couple of trains to squeeze into another E train to get to Manhattan.”
The stalled train was eventually cleared at 8:33 p.m. and 7 line service was restored, according to the MTA.
By 9:25 a.m. however, No. 7 train riders were faced with yet another delay due to an unrelated incident at West 34th Street in Manhattan.
“7 trains are running with delays in both directions because someone requires medical assistance at 34 St-Hudson Yards,” an MTA spokesperson said on Twitter.
That incident was eventually resolved at 9:43 a.m., according to the MTA.
In an email to the Eagle, the MTA confirmed that the earlier incident was caused by a train that had its brakes triggered by a mechanical problem. An investigation is still ongoing.
