City subway and rail riders lamented a second morning of extreme inconvenience on the rails as the MTA announced service was suspended on several lines during Tuesday's rush because of a smoke condition at a midtown subway station, and rail riders faced long weather-related delays.
Service on the N, Q and R lines between Manhattan and Queens was restored two hours after smoke filled the 59th Street-Lexington Avenue station but residual delays were expected, adding to riders' mounting frustration over subway problems this week.
"I had to let four trains go by, they were too crowded," said commuter Miguel Gonzalez.
Natasha Jordan's regular one-hour commute home to Canarsie took three hours Monday.
"It was a terrible commute," she said. "Terrible, terrible, terrible."
In Harlem, a train on the Metro-North Harlem line became disabled at 125th Street at around 7:30 a.m., causing delays of up to 30 minutes during the height of the morning rush. Icing conditions prevented the train from drawing power from the third rail, leaving one of the four tracks out of service between Mott Haven in the Bronx and Grand Central Terminal.
The railroad says the severe cold and ice have caused equipment and infrastructure issues throughout its system. A weather-related power problem also was blamed Monday night after a Metro-North New Haven Line train was stuck for two hours in Westchester County. Passengers said they had no heat during the ordeal.
At the 59th Street-Lexington Avenue station Tuesday, video from a rider posted on social media shows a smoky platform as commuters look around, confused. An MTA worker is heard on the loudspeaker giving straphangers travel alternatives as riders file out of the train and up the stairs. The FDNY said initial reports indicated the smoke condition stemmed from a track fire; they were called to the station shortly after 10 a.m.
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No injuries were reported. Delays were also reported on the orange lines because the R, after initially being suspended along with the N and Q, was re-routed to run over the F from 57th Street to Roosevelt Avenue. One rider said she was stuck on the F for more than 30 minutes underground.
Commuters inconvenienced by the yellow line suspensions would normally look to the No. 7 as an alternative, but widespread delays were also reported on the line, which only resumed limited service at 2 a.m. Tuesday. The no. 7 trains were running local between Main Street and Times Square.
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The line linking large swaths of Queens and Manhattan was shut down for virtually the entire day Monday after an electrified third rail lost power and froze near Queensboro Plaza, stranding five trains and leaving riders on one without heat for hours.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said the "unprecedented" flash freeze that hit northern Queens presented new challenges to transit officials, who never had a chance to catch up with special de-icers or snow throwers.
Suspensions lingered through the evening commute Monday and commuters were advised to use MTA buses or other subway lines; shuttles were running between the Queensboro Plaza and Flushing stations and the LIRR was cross-honoring MetroCards.
But the alternatives were complicated and frustrating for tired and cold commuters, especially those who waited in the bitter cold Monday night for the shuttle buses, too few and far between.
"It's absolutely ridiculous," said Nasia Maimos of Flushing, one of the thousands of people forced to take the shuttle to a station with train service Monday evening. "We were waiting on the line for 45 minutes to an hour just to get the bus."
"Everybody's screaming and yelling, yelling at the bus driver," said Maimos. "I just want to go home."
Regular 7 train riders already deal with weekend closures for months at a time several times a year, part of a capital improvement project expected to be completed in 2016.
"The 7 train is challenging sometimes," commuter Chris Cagliuso said Tuesday.
Some took to social media, venting one month before their rides get more expensive.
"How dare you raise the fare with this horrendous service, and you don't even have the courtesy to explain," tweeted Candy Warhol to the MTA.
Ortiz said Tuesday, "Running service in inclement weather is always a challenge. We do the best that we can. We try to get customers where they're going as quickly and safely as possible."
