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Service on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines on the Metro-North has been suspended during the course of Tuesday night’s thunderstorm, according to the MTA.
Officials began shutting down service on the Hudson Line shortly before 5pm, following downed trees and weather-related issues that affected passenger safety. Less than 30 minutes later, the authority announced that service on all of three of the lines would be suspended until the storm passed, leaving thousands of commuters without a ride home. In a tweet, the MTA directed customers to avoid Grand Central Terminal until further notice.
Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Line service is currently suspended to ensure customer safety during the course of the thunderstorms in our service area. Customers are advised to avoid GCT until further notice.
— Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) May 15, 2018
Earlier on Wednesday, the National Weather Service and Governor Andrew Cuomo issued statements urging New Yorkers to take caution as wind gusts were expected to reach 65 miles per hour, with the possibility of tornadoes in New Jersey, Connecticut and upstate New York.
Tuesday night’s service shutdown mirrors a similar situation following a nor'easter on March 7, which also led to the suspension of Metro-North service and forced commuters with no other way home to spend the night at Grand Central Terminal. Tuesday evening’s commute could bring a similar set of circumstances.
If you do commute out of Grand Central, keep an eye on Metro-North’s Twitter feed for the latest updates. Here’s what the scene there looked like shortly after service shut down:
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