MTA: Service Restored After Odor From Heating Oil Disrupts L Trains Between Manhattan, Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Service has resumed after an odor of heating oil prompted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to suspend L trains between Brooklyn and Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.
The MTA said it suspended service between Eighth Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues to investigate the source of the odor. The agency deployed shuttle buses to accommodate passengers between Union Square and Myrtle-Wyckoff stations.
J train service was also impacted, with trains running local from Marcy to Myrtle Avenues.
Witnesses told CBS2's Alice Gainer that they first smelled the fumes Monday. A Transit Workers Union representative told Gainer that a worker was overcome by the fumes Monday night and was taken to the hospital.
"She did state that the fumes were excessively strong, before she even got to the station. From the outside, so when she got to the station they became a little stronger," the TWU's Lynwood Whichard said.
The FDNY said there's no health impact and no flammability due to the fumes.
"Apparently there's some groundwater seeping up into the road bed, into the truck bed of the L train and as it's leaking up, it's leaving an odor," FDNY Deputy Chief Vincent Mandalay said. "It's not gas because we're getting zero readings on the flammability meters."
Service resumed shortly after 3:15 p.m.
"The MTA has restored full service on the L line. After an unusual odor was discovered, the MTA immediately launched an investigation. Service was suspended while FDNY and DEP thoroughly examined what appeared to be an oil or gas leak at the Graham Station, at track level," the MTA's Max Young said. "Both Departments have confirmed that non-flammable heating oil from an external source had leaked onto the track and the incident is completely unrelated to the L train project or any other MTA construction. Air quality at all stations has been tested and determined to be safe. We apologize to our customers for the delay in service -- their safety is always our number one priority and we would never compromise it."
