Gassy Stench Fills L Train Stations After Tunnel Work: MTA

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — A gassy smell in the L train tunnel that spurred dozens of complaints and may have caused one straphanger to faint was caused by work near the Bedford Avenue station Monday night, according to the MTA.

"Several diesel trains were in the tunnel last night working on tracks and switches," transit officials tweeted. "We apologize for the smell."

Rider Josh Fidanque saw a man pass out by the door of the L train at the First Avenue station Tuesday morning after delays kept the commuters stuck in the tunnel for twice the usual time, he said.

"The people surrounding him helped out," Fidanque said. "They called for support, gave him water, and helped him back up after a few mins."

As an MTA employee checked to make sure the man was okay, several other passengers yelled out "no air in here" and "it smells really gassy," Fidanque told Patch.

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Fidanque said he has also felt light-headed after riding the L train from DeKalb Avenue to Union Square and was considering other ways of getting to work to avoid the smell.

MTA workers have set up fans to clear the air and will continue to investigate the street-level waterproofing, switch and track work done near the Bedford Avenue station Monday, according to an @NYCTSubway tweet.

The response comes after dozens of riders took to Twitter on Tuesday to say multiple G and L line stops smelled like gas.

Many riders have been tagging the MTA or subway officials, and sometimes Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to ask for an explanation.

Riders reported the smell at the Bedford, Grand, Graham and Lorimer stations. One rider said they were "breathing gas" all the way from the Myrtle-Wyckoff station in Brooklyn to Union Square in Manhattan.

"So unsafe!! Fix it!!" One rider wrote.

Though the MTA tweet identified the source of the smell, a person who answered the phone at the MTA press office Tuesday morning said they hadn't heard about it.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.