Times Square transit evacuated, reactivated within an hour

An explosion near the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan shut down one of the busiest transit hubs in North America during the Monday morning rush, disrupting the routines of tens of thousands of commuters.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority closed the busy subway station beneath the terminal, at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, and diverted passengers on several lines. Shortly after 7:30 a.m., the transit authority said trains would bypass the 42nd Street stops on the 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, N, Q, R and W lines.

The No. 7 line, which runs along 42nd Street, also was affected. The L line, which runs along 14th Street, was not operating west of the Sixth Avenue station.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced at about 8:30 a.m. that the bus terminal, used by more than 250,000 commuters daily, was being closed temporarily.

New Jersey Transit, which sends hundreds of buses through an express bus lane leading to the Lincoln Tunnel every weekday, diverted its buses to train stations in Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey. Around 9 a.m., New Jersey Transit announced the early closing of the express bus lane leading to the Lincoln Tunnel, which is normally open until 10 a.m.

Joseph Lhota, chairman of the Transportation Authority, said that by 9:30 a.m. all subway service was being restored, though trains on the West Side were still bypassing the 42nd Street stations. He said the shuttle service between Times Square and Grand Central Terminal was still halted. Lhota said he expected subway service to be fully operational by Monday’s evening rush.

“In less than two hours, we are back totally up to speed and getting our passengers around,” Lhota said.