The 7 train has resumed with delays after an earlier network communication problem at Queensboro Plaza started jamming up the line in both directions.
Riders started complaining of being stuck on trains for more than 15 minutes just after 4 p.m. The rain presented an additional nuisance for commuters in the elevated outdoor stations in Queens. One rider tweeted, "Flushing bound 7 express train is stuck on the tracks at QBPlaza... rain, cold and frustration building up."
The issue surfaced at a particularly unfortunate time: just an hour earlier, the official agency for the subway announced that the modern signaling technology was now live on the entire 7 line.
"After we finish optimizing and automating the system and performing other signal work over the coming weeks, we'll be able to run more trains, more reliably," NYC Transit tweeted.
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MTA spokesman Shams Tarek says over the next few weeks, the agency will be working with the vendor to optimize the system and doing other signal work on the line to complete the transition.
"This afternoon we had a track circuit failure and it’s unclear if it’s related to the new CBTC installation," Tarek said. "What is clear is that customers will soon enjoy the enhanced reliability and, eventually, increased train frequencies that CBTC allows, as currently seen on the L line."
Andrew Siff contribued to this report.
