Crumbling Wall Tiles Derail R Train Over Weekend, Cause Delays

BAY RIDGE – A large section of tile fell onto the tracks at the 86th Street Station in Bay Ridge over the weekend, causing an R train to derail and leading to delays on the morning of Sunday, November 26.

Roughly 30 people were stuck after a southbound R train struck the debris, activating the emergency brake, AMNY reports. Luckily, there were no injuries and the passengers were taken off the train safely.

“We responded this morning to an incident involving debris from a wall becoming wedged between the rail and wheels of a southbound R train,” said MTA spokesman Jon Weinstein in a statement.

The incident caused the MTA to close the station for nearly 21 hours and crews worked to remove the debris from the track. Service resumed just before 4:30 pm.

Riders and bloggers quickly caught the incident on camera and posted their pictures to Twitter.

With breakdowns and subway delays constantly in the news, riders are blaming politicians for the literal crumbling of the subway lines. But neither Mayor De Blasio nor Governor Cuomo want to take on the issue.

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s what’s going to happen when you have a subway system that’s over 90 years old,” Paul Navarro, director of subway safety for the Transport Workers Union told the NY Post.

“That’s what happens when you play politics like that,” Navarro said. “The only people that suffer are the public. They don’t take the subway.”