Water Main Break Causes Service Disruptions on E and M Train Lines

NEW YORK CITY — A water main break in Midtown early Wednesday disrupted service on the E and M subway lines between the Upper East Side and Queens, officials said.

ConEd restored power to the Lexington Avenue-East 53^rd Street station about 8 a.m. Service to the two affected train lines was brought back to normal shortly thereafter, officials said.

The water main burst at 4:30 a.m., the FDNY said, throwing service out of whack during rush hour.

The Manhattan-bound E train had to be rerouted to the F line between 36th Street in Queens and West 4th Street in Manhattan. The break also forced officials to shut down M train service in both directions between Forest Hills–71st Avenue in Queens and the Essex Street Station in Manhattan, according to the MTA website. 

The water spillage did not cause flooding in the subway system, an MTA spokesperson said, but ConEd still had to cut power to the area, including to the station’s third rail.

ConEd also cut gas to the area, affecting some 250 commercial and residential units in 20 different buildings, a fire official said.