WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — All aboard the zombie train!
The long-defunct 9 train made a surprise trip downtown Thursday morning, almost a decade after it was axed by the MTA.
The ghost train, which was actually a 1 train that didn't properly change the sign in one of its first car's windows, stopped at the 181st Street 1 station before heading south.
The 9 train operated for 14 years alongside the 1 line from Van Cortlandt Park to the South Ferry. Implemented as a way to help uptowners travel downtown faster, the 9 train ran on a skip-stop service pattern during peak hours peak hours above 137th Street.
The MTA announced plans to eliminate the train in 2004, citing decreased ridership, and the last 9 train ran on May 27, 2005.
The MTA isn't as tickled by the 9's resurrection — a spokeswoman told DNAinfo that the incident was a mistake.
"That was an error, and we are investigating how it happened," she said.