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Harlem Explosion Hampers Yonkers Commuters

YONKERS, N.Y. -- An explosion in East Harlem that killed two, injured dozens and  disabled Metro-North rails for all three lines for most of the day gave commuters at the Yonkers train station a major headache on Wednesday afternoon.

The signs at the Yonkers train station glowed orange, indicating a service change, on almost every platform.

The signs at the Yonkers train station glowed orange, indicating a service change, on almost every platform.

Photo Credit: Suzanne Samin

Metro-North has been providing limited service from Grand Central Terminal on both the Harlem and Hudson lines, and many commuters traveling to and from New York City are being forced to take complicated routes home.

Delays started as early as 10 a.m. on Wednesday after the explosion, and continued on for the rest of the workday.

Carla Marie Sanders of Yonkers told Daily Voice via Facebook that she was in Bronxville waiting for her 10:23 a.m. train to Grand Central, which she takes to school every day.

"I usually take a train into Grand Central and then walk because my building is only a couple blocks away," she wrote.

Sanders, who attends LIM College in Manhattan, said she didn't realize something was amiss until the train didn't show up on time.

According to Sanders, announcements were not made until 10:25, and the train was 20 minutes late. Once she got on the train, the conductor informed her it was only going as far as the Fordham station.

Sanders said she missed school Wednesday.

Jane Conforto of Cortlandt Manor would have normally taken the Hudson Line straight home, but instead she left her workplace in New York City and took the 4 train out of Grand Central toward Metro-North's Woodlawn Station. 

Conforto then got a ride from there to the Yonkers train station.

"The alternative was to take a train to the Yankee Stadium station, but then you had to walk all the way over to the other station. It was just easier for me to get a ride to Yonkers," she said.

Karen Cathers was on her way to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville from upstate and managed to narrowly miss a commuting nightmare. 

"I didn't want to travel all the way down the Hudson line to Harlem and then turn back around to go up to Bronxville, so instead I took a cab. It ended up being fortuitous because I avoided all the madness over this Harlem thing," she said. 

Bonnie Pagliaro travels on Metro-North from upstate to her job in downtown Yonkers every day. She came to the train station to catch her 4:08 p.m. train, but at 4:20 p.m. it had yet to arrive. 

"They're already saying the 4:30 p.m. train after mine is cancelled. I think we're all just trying to figure out what's going on and get home," she said.

@suzannesamin

ssamin@dailyvoice.com

 

 

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