The commuters were descending to take the Q train at the 72nd Street station on the Upper East Side when it became stuck.
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17 people were trapped inside.
First responders and MTA mechanics managed to bring the stuck cab back to the surface and open it up after 80 minutes.
No injuries were reported.
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Schindler, a third-party contractor, operates the elevator.
"Obviously we are now having urgent discussions with Schindler as to why that elevator stalled," said Transit Authority President Andy Byford. "There's a number of reasons why it got stuck, but the bottom line is we're going to hold them to account. I do not want my customers trapped in elevators, period."
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