MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Grand Central went dark on Thursday evening – well, at least for a few minutes.
Grand Central Terminal experienced a power outage around 8:28 p.m. Backup generators kicked in, and power was up and running within 30 minutes, according to MTA officials.
“Grand Central Terminal experienced a drop in voltage to the feeder network that resulted in lights going out in portions of the facility. No train service was interrupted and operations at Grand Central Madison were unaffected throughout,” MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said.
Commuters could be seen flashing their cellphones’ flashlights and taking photos; most were seen seemingly trying to catch their train, according to multiple videos posted on Citizen.
Power was restored to the upper level by 8:53 p.m. and to the lower level by 9:17 p.m., officials said.
No injuries were reported, but for a brief period, five Metro-North Railroad employees were trapped in elevators without electricity until the doors were opened and emergency generators were activated.
The MTA is working with Con Edison to investigate the cause of the outage.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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