Update: As of 7:40 p.m., service on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines has mostly been restored, though there are delays across all three lines. In some cases, service remains suspended north of New York City; check the MTA’s website for details.
A severe thunderstorm is rolling through the New York City area right now, and according to the National Weather Service, it has the potential to cause some severe disruption in the five boroughs. In addition to bringing wind gusts of up to 75 mph, it may also bring hail and flooding.
The storm is already affecting the evening rush hour: Downed trees upstate caused Metro-North Rail Road to suspend service on the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven lines—so across nearly its entire network—with travelers encouraged to avoid Grand Central Terminal. As of 6:20 p.m., service on the Hudson Line between Grand Central and Croton-Harmon was back on, according to the Metro-North Twitter account.
Hudson Line service has resumed between Grand Central Terminal and Croton-Harmon with delays of up to 60 minutes. Service between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie remains suspended due to the of multiple downed trees. Please listen for announcements at your station.
— Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) May 15, 2018
New Haven line service is also back on, but with delays of up to an hour.
New Haven Line service has resumed with limited service with delays of up to 60 mins. Access to GCT is limited to the 42nd St entrances.
— Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) May 15, 2018
Multiple sources have reported that entrances at Grand Central were temporarily closed in order to prevent overcrowding; according to the Metro-North Twitter, the 42nd Street entrances are now accepting passengers. We’ll update as more on this story develops.
WHOA: Just in from the @MTA: As a result of downed trees across the northern suburbs affecting all rail lines, Metro-North Railroad has suspended service … To prevent overcrowding of Grand Central Terminal, the Terminal’s entrances are being closed temporarily.
— Jimmy Vielkind (@JimmyVielkind) May 15, 2018
All trains canceled for Metro North. Sweet lord. #MTA #metronorth pic.twitter.com/gxfn6FfKhw
— Barb Leung (@barb_leung) May 15, 2018
Similar problems are playing out along the NYC subway: Franklin Avenue Shuttle service is suspended because of downed trees, and SIR service is delayed. At this writing, there are also changes to the 2 and 5 trains in the Bronx because of a downed tree at Eastchester-Dyre Avenue.
The relevant agencies are posting updates to Twitter; stay safe out there, folks.
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