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AirTrain Shut Down for Hours Due to Power Outage

A portion of the AirTrain to JFK airport was closed because of a power outage Mon., May 21, 2012.
A portion of the AirTrain to JFK airport was closed because of a power outage Mon., May 21, 2012.
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Flickr/Yukon White Light

QUEENS — A power outage on the AirTrain shuttle to JFK Airport stymied straphangers for hours Monday morning because of a power outage, authorities said.

The section of AirTrain tracks running to the airport from the Howard Beach A train station were closed for more than four hours after shutting down about 9 a.m., a Port Authority spokeswoman said.

"JFK AirTrain, let's GO! We've been at the station long enough! #rage" Twitter user @snickolas wrote Monday afternoon.

Witnesses said they saw lightning and then the train stopped.

"Lightning! On airtrain at JFK. stopped suddenly. Now we wait," wrote @inamoon on Twitter.

"AirTrain can't move. I guess we get to evacuate in the rain."

A Port Authority spokeswoman said she could not confirm whether lightning struck the AirTrain and she said It was not immediately clear what caused the power outage.

Service on the train, which also shuttles passengers to the airport from the Sutphin Boulevard E and J/Z stations, resumed at 1:20 p.m., the spokeswoman added. The other portion of the line was not affected.

Buses were added to the route to transport riders during the outage, and they remained in operation after train service returned, a Port Authority spokeswoman said.