Curious case of the MTA button
Subway outage blamed on shut-off blunder
An MTA worker accidentally pressing a button “most likely” caused last month’s massive disruption of subway service, an outside investigation ordered by Gov. Hochul has found.
Two engineering firms have concluded that the loss of power at the NYC Transit Rail Control Center — which caused an hourslong disruption on multiple lines on Aug. 29 — was triggered by the manual activation of an emergency power-off switch on one of the Midtown building’s power-distribution units, the Governor’s Office announced in a press release on Friday.
The findings suggest the button was mistakenly pressed, since a plastic protector designed to prevent accidental activation was missing, according to summaries of the two firms’ investigative reports.
“Two outside engineering firms, HDR and WSP, were tasked with investigating and determining a root cause, and found that the outage was caused by human error,” the Governor’s Office said.
The blunder caused a shutdown and prolonged service disruption on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and L lines.
Hochul vowed on Friday to work to prevent similar shutdowns.
“New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in a fully functioning subway system, and it is our job to restore that confidence,” she said in a statement.
“I am also directing the MTA to review all operation control centers across the entire system to identify any further potential weaknesses and provide assurance in preventing a situation like this from happening ever again.
“We will deliver the modernization, enhancements and reliability that riders deserve.”
Acting MTA Chair Janno Lieber said the agency’s conclusion immediately after the disruption — that the backup electrical system had failed — proved incorrect.
In fact, the backup systems worked, but “building systems” at the MTA’s dispatching hub, known as the Rail Control Center, went dark, according to Lieber. Someone hit the wrong button in an attempt to revive those systems, and the RCC lost its ability to communicate with trains in service, he said.
“It appears that a button was pushed accidentally that was not supposed to be pushed,” Lieber said at an unrelated press conference on Friday. “I have to say, I am deeply disappointed in this, and I say to our customers: This cannot happen. The Rail Control Center is the holy of holies of the subway system.”
According to HDR’s report, the 84-minute loss of power was caused by an “inadequate maintenance organizational structure at the RCC” and the “lack of a proper power distribution monitoring system.”
WSP’s report said the shut-off was “most likely” due to an “Emergency Power Off button being manually activated.” Noting there was no video surveillance, the firm said it could not conclude whether the button was pressed on purpose or erroneously.
Two trains — a Brooklyn-bound 2 and a northbound 3 — got stuck in the Harlem River tunnel as a result of the outage, forcing the evacuation of about 400 riders, sources said.
The next day, Hochul vowed to get to the bottom of the “unprecedented system breakdown.”
On Friday, she won praise for her swift turnaround of the probe.
Contrasting her to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Que ens) said, “It shows there was a higher level of cooperation from the MTA with the Governor’s Office — which is a big sea change from the prior administration, where they tried to double-talk their way out of everything.”
And Lisa Daglian, head of the MTA citizens advisory committee, said: “Riders should be assured that the quick review and strong response is a sign of steady hands that are prepared to get them to where they want to go.”