Grand Central Terminal in New York City experienced a power outage Thursday night, leaving MTA workers stranded in an elevator during the incident. The blackout occurred after rush hour and lasted approximately 30 minutes, according to MTA officials. A drop in voltage to the feeder network caused the loss of power from about 8:28 p.m. to 9:17 p.m., though Grand Central Madison, the terminal’s 700,000-square-foot extension, remained unaffected.
MTA Communications Director Tim Minton stated that the voltage issue led to darkness in parts of the facility but confirmed no train service was disrupted. Power was restored to the upper level at 8:53 p.m. and the lower level at 9:17 p.m., with no injuries reported. Five Metro North railroad employees were trapped in an elevator during the outage, requiring rescue by the FDNY.
Witnesses described a moment of panic as the terminal plunged into darkness. Commuters shared photos and videos online showing the pitch-black main hall around 8:30 p.m. Yvonne Ubillus, a worker at Grand Brasserie inside the terminal, said the sudden outage caught staff and customers off guard. “We were in the middle of service and then the lights just went off,” she said. Power was restored by 9 p.m., though some systems, including the gas line, remained nonfunctional.
Commuter Shola Adekola described the darkness as unsettling, noting that people relied on phone lights to navigate. Democratic NYC Council nominee Virginia Maloney criticized the incident, stating it highlights the need for infrastructure investment to prevent safety risks from outages.