More than half of the subway lines in NYC were delayed this morning

Straphangers across the city were met with another run of miserable delays morning. After a relatively painless start to August for riders, more than half of the subway lines in the city experienced delays, providing a painful reminder of the deep-rooted problems that have crippled the system this year.

It all kicked off when an empty NJ Transit train derailed near Penn Station around 5am, which caused delays of up to 20 minutes for some early-rising New Jersey commuters. 

The spiteful transit gods were just getting started, though. 

A mechanical problem at DeKalb Avenue forced southbound N and Q trains to run on the R track, and M train service to cease entirely between Myrtle Avenue and Forest Hills-71st Avenue. In all, the problem led to delays on the B, D, F, M, N, Q and R trains.

Meanwhile, a sick passenger at Jay Street-MetroTech led to delays on the A and C trains in Brooklyn, and inbound service on the 7 line abruptly shut down. At Court Square, commuters who rely on the 7 line funneled onto the E and M platform, which quickly became packed and overcrowded.

The service changes gummed up the subway system across the city, and was reminiscent of the hellish morning of delays that riders experienced last month, when a track fire forced A, B, C and D trains to halt service. 

The MTA has released an emergency plan to fix the subway, but it will take at least another year to be fully implemented.