2 subway cars separate from northbound A train in Lower Manhattan
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Two cars of a northbound A train inexplicably separated in Lower Manhattan early Wednesday.
"I think the shock value of it kind of threw me off," subway rider Hupaul Camacho said.
Camacho told Eyewitness News that he was riding in the middle of the train as they were approaching the Chambers Street station just after 1 a.m. when he felt the train lurch.
"When I looked toward the back the car on the right was a little bit farther than it should be," he said. "And I went over and looked and there was a big gap in between the cars."
He took a picture of the two R179 cars that had separated from the rest of the train.
"I overheard that there were 10 passengers still stuck on the back of the train," Camacho said. "They had to be rescued."
Passengers in the other cars were able to step onto the platform from the first car.
Interim NYC Transit President Sarah Feinberg said an investigation is underway, and "out of an abundance of caution, the entire R179 fleet is being pulled from service until further notice."
The Bombardier's R179 cars were also pulled from service back in January following an issue with its doors.
"We will not return the fleet to service without certainty and validation that all cars are fit for passenger service-period," Feinberg said.
For Camacho, it was a memorable ride.
"Everywhere I need to go I take the subway," he said. "I have never been on a train that broke down before."
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