By Jennifer Glickel
LEXINGTON AVENUE — An overheated escalator that began smoking in the Lexington Avenue-51st Street stop forced 6 trains to bypass the subway station Monday evening for nearly an hour, the FDNY said.
Firefighters were called to the stop about 6:30 p.m. because of smoke coming from an escalator on the uptown platform, the FDNY said.
A spokesman said the smoke was minor and caused by the escalator overheating. Nobody was injured.
6 trains bypassed the station in both direction for about an hour after the platforms were evacuated.
Service resumed about 7:30 p.m.
Stephanie Grabbe, 22, a publicist who works around the corner was heading to the subway stop to take a train home to the Upper East Side when she was prevented from entering.
"It's a huge inconvenience because I want to get home at a reasonable time," Grabbe said.
"I take this train to and from work every day and I don't know the bus schedule, so I guess I'll start walking."
