Rail Defect Delays 4, 5, 6 Trains In Harlem, Upper East Side

HARLEM, NY — Trains traveling through Harlem and the Upper East Side slowed to a crawl for hours Thursday as a "rail condition" at 125th Street caused service changes on the 4, 5 and 6 lines.

Express trains traveling from 125th Street to Grand Central Station were re-routed via the local line Thursday and southbound local 6 trains were running with delays due to the added congestion on the line, according to the MTA. The rail condition was first reported by the MTA at 12:36 and New Yorkers are being urged to allow for additional travel time up and down the east side of Manhattan.

The condition was fixed around four hours later, with train service restored but facing extensive delays, according to the MTA.

In addition to changes affecting the east side, some 5 trains were re-routed onto the 2 line from 149 St-Grand Concourse and Nevins Street due to the condition.

An MTA spokeswoman told Patch the "rail condition" was a standard defect which occur throughout the subway system ant various times and days. These defects can have varied causes such as extreme weather changes and general wear and tear, the spokeswoman said.

An MTA crew is en route to 125th Street Station to fix the problem, an MTA spokeswoman told Patch, there is no estimate for when service will be restored on the 4, 5 or 6 lines.

Photo by Patch