NYC's subway back on track for commute after Irene

NEW YORK - New York City subways resumed service Monday after Tropical Storm Irene forced an unprecedented closure of the nation's largest mass transit system. Trains and buses in and around the metropolitan area faced their first major test as millions of commuters ventured to work for the first time since the storm hit.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that limited service had resumed at 5:40 a.m. across the area. Metro-North Railroad, which serves the city's northern suburbs, remained closed because of flooding and other storm-related damage. New Jersey Transit trains were also suspended.

MTA spokesman Charles Seaton said subways were running smoothly, if a little more slowly than usual at first. He said commuters should expect a bit more crowding but otherwise service was normal.

Riders who had expected a difficult time getting to work said they were relieved.

"The subway is running very well. I can't believe it, they did a great job," said Dominic Cecala, who took an E train from the city's west side to lower Manhattan. "If they hadn't stopped the trains on Saturday, it would have been a mess."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA announced late Sunday that the subways would reopen in time for the next day's early morning rush hour. They cautioned that service might be less frequent than normal and customers should expect more crowded trains.
The MTA's decision Saturday to halt all subways, buses and commuter trains in preparation for the storm -- the first time a natural disaster ever closed the system down -- had threatened to disrupt the start of the work week in the nation's most populous metropolitan area.