In the cramped confines of a New York City subway tunnel, transit workers faced a challenging task as they labored to lift hulking rail cars back onto the tracks following a collision and derailment. The incident, which occurred on Thursday afternoon, caused significant disruptions to subway service that extended into a second day on Friday.

The collision took place at the 96th Street station in Manhattan when a northbound 1 train, carrying approximately 300 passengers, was switching from the express track to the local track. The train collided with an out-of-service train that had four workers on board. The impact of the crash caused the trains to derail, blocking both the local and express tracks in the northbound direction of the 1, 2, and 3 lines.

Janno Lieber, the chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), addressed the situation at a briefing in front of the station on Friday morning. Lieber explained that partial service could only be restored once the derailed train was removed from the tracks. However, this task posed a significant challenge due to the low ceiling of the subway tunnel.

Richard Davey, the president of NYC Transit, elaborated on the difficulties faced by transit workers. He described the process of lifting the final car of the derailed train as a delicate operation. With limited space in the tunnel, workers had to lift the car a few inches, shimmy it over, and repeat the process, making the process time-consuming.

The disruptions caused by the collision rippled throughout the west side of Manhattan. The 1 and 3 lines were suspended between Times Square and Harlem, while 2 trains were diverted to the east side. Extra buses were deployed to assist in transporting passengers along the affected routes.

Approximately 25 people sustained minor injuries in the collision. Davey revealed that the passenger train had the green light to proceed, while the disabled train did not. The exact cause of the collision is still under investigation, and a team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived in New York on Friday to conduct a thorough investigation.

The out-of-service train, which suffered damage to its wheels due to the collision, will be removed once the passenger train is back on the tracks. The NTSB has not yet scheduled a briefing on the collision.

While derailments and crashes in the New York City subway system are rare, this incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers associated with operating such a complex transportation network. The worst crash in subway history occurred in 1918, resulting in the deaths of at least 93 people. More recently, a derailment in 1991 claimed the lives of five individuals.

The MTA and transit workers are working diligently to restore subway service and ensure the safety of passengers. As investigations continue, it remains crucial to identify any potential factors that contributed to the collision and implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.