An unattended bag hanging off a bridge at 138th Street wrought havoc on the Wednesday commute for Metro-North riders.
Metro-North delays hit up to 90 minutes Wednesday after an abandoned bag on the 138th Street Bridge prompted a major emergency presence, stalling all train traffic in and out Grand Central Terminal, according to the railroad and witnesses.
An NBC 4 New York reporter said his train's conductor announced no rail traffic could pass because an unattended bag was hanging off a bridge.
The railroad confirmed in a 9:26 a.m. tweet the bag had sparked an investigation, and said police and ESU were at the scene.
Chopper 4 footage from the bridge scene showed investigators under the span. At one point, a man in a reflective vest looks at what appears to be a large brownish suitcase, though it's not clear if that was the bag in question.
Trains were seen rolling over the bridge a short time later, and customers who had been stuck for an hour or more tweeted that their cars had started moving again.
Metro-North Railroad tweeted shortly before 10 a.m. that service in and out of Grand Central had resumed with extensive delays. The bag was determined not to be a threat, and the railroad said the location of it made it hard to get to, which led to longer than typical delays for such routine investigations.
Meanwhile, surge pricing was in effect for Uber, with estimates up to $158 for a ride from New Rochelle to 125th Street.
