Thousands of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit subway riders were left without transportation after someone stole the copper cable from the “A” line tracks near Howard Beach, Queens.
Workers are laboring to restore service on the line soon. The delay caused a domino effect for other travelers throughout the day, and these residual delays will take some time to disappear entirely.
Losing the subway power cables requires that the MTA halt service between Broad Channel and Rockaway Boulevard. The subway has been replaced with shuttle buses to help people make their morning commutes. The shuttle bus service will continue until the line can be fully restored through the Rockaways. The buses will also run throughout the night as workers complete emergency repair work during the night.
“This morning’s service disruption was directly caused by the theft
of cable from along the subway right of way. This led to delays and
crowding along all 31 miles of the “A” train and forced thousands of Rockaways customers to use shuttle buses to get to work,” Carmen Bianco, MTA New York Transit’s president, said. “We are working closely with the NYPD Transit Bureau to help them investigate this crime and identify the culprits responsible.”
