What to Know
- Service along a New York City subway line was suspended Wednesday morning after windows were smashed in dozens of train cars, the MTA said, disrupting thousands ahead of their morning commutes to work
- A total of 97 windows were smashed on 45 train cars in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, the transit agency said. The damage appeared to have been caused from inside the cars while the trains were in use, not at a rail yard.
- The damage was so widespread, the MTA said it did not have enough trains in order to run trains on the W line, noting that it is expected to cost tens of thousands to make the necessary fixes
After a nearly 24-hour suspension of service for an entire New York City subway line, MTA officials expect operations to be back to normal by Thursday morning after nearly 100 windows were smashed in dozens of train cars.
The W train had service suspended since about 7 p.m. Tuesday as the MTA said it was repairing trains that had been vandalized. The service did not return until about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The MTA called W service limited Wednesday evening; straphangers will still being advised to take 7 and N trains, or Q102 buses in Queens, and N/Q/R trains for service in Manhattan.
Other trains along the same yellow line (N, Q, R) as well as the B and D lines were impacted as well, with riders seeing reduced service and longer wait times.
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The damage appeared to have been caused from inside the cars while the trains were in use, not at a rail yard. The damage was so widespread, the MTA said it did not have enough trains in order to run trains on the W line, noting that it is expected to cost tens of thousands to make the necessary fixes. MTA personnel have identified 97 broken windows on 45 trains. As of 12:05 p.m., 25 trains had been repaired, the agency said.
News
NYC Transit President Richard Davey said he was outraged by the vandalism.
"We literally have exhausted, depending on the fleet class, the number of windows in our supply, and [we] are now stealing windows off of cars that are in our train yard," said Davey. "So that gives you a sense for how acute this issue is. It might seem like a prank, or I don't know what is in the mindset of these criminals, but it sure as hell ain't helping us deliver service for New Yorkers.
"Breaking windows on trains, causing them to be put out of service, not only inconveniences our riders but it's a crime. And when caught, you will be arrested, and you're gonna be facing felony charges," said NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper.
Service on the line runs from Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard in Queens down to Whitehall Street-South Ferry in lower Manhattan.
An investigation is ongoing.
