The front of the northbound A train derailed, sustaining damage, at the 8th Avenue and 14th Street train station at around 8 a.m. in Chelsea.
Authorities described the person being questioned as a 30-year-old homeless man. They say a witness saw him throwing construction debris onto the subway tracks.
He is currently being questioned at Transit District 2, with charges pending.
“A northbound train came into contact with debris on the roadbed as it was pulling into the 14St-8th Av station resulting in a wheel leaving the track,” NYCT Interim President Sarah Feinberg said in a statement. “All passengers on the train were safely discharged at the station. The matter is under investigation.”
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The MTA says the incident caused a loss of power to all four tracks.
“As a result of the incident, a northbound train near 34th Street remains in the tunnel and NYCT is working quickly to remove customers from the train,” Feinberg said.
Chief Customer Officer for NYC Transit Sarah Meyer also commented on the situation.
I am so angry that someone did this on purpose, but so thankful that no one was seriously injured. Don’t mess with our subway–its for all of us!! https://t.co/FtEJUnOvhz
— Sarah Meyer (@SarahMeyerNYC) September 20, 2020
There were about 30 passengers on the trains. No serious injuries have been reported at this time.
Service is suspended in both directions south of 14th St in Manhattan. There is no northbound service along 8th Avenue from Canal St to 59 St-Columbus Circle, and limited service in uptown Manhattan and the Bronx.
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