4 Workers Burned While Doing FASTRACK Work at Union Square: MTA

MTA officials say four workers were taken to the hospital after being burned while doing FASTRACK work on the rails at the Union Square subway station Thursday morning.

The MTA employees were working on the southbound express tracks along the line that carries No. 4, 5 and 6 trains at about 3:30 a.m. when they were burned, the authority says.

They were working on the electrified third rail cable when the cable came into contact with the rail, causing an electrical explosion, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.

One worker has serious burns on his face and hands but is expected to survive, the MTA says. The other three workers had minor injuries to their faces and arms.

All four workers were taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Weill Cornell Medical Center's burn unit.

Service was disrupted along the No. 4, 5 and 6 lines for several hours Thursday morning, but service resumed at about 6 a.m. with residual delays.

Intermittent disruptions are possible throughout the day as investigators look into the cause of the accident. 

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