Firefighters rushed to the 81 Street-Museum of Natural History subway station just before 4 p.m. Friday after reports of smoke on the tracks.
MTA officials confirmed reports of smoke on the tracks and said that downtown B and C local trains were skipping the stop, while uptown service was unaffected. Express trains were still running on schedule through the station.
One straphanger said they heard a large bang before smoke entered the station.
“My ears are ringing. I was on the platform waiting for a downtown B an C at 81st St. There was one huge bang, maybe two, I might have seen sparks, then there was a bunch of smoke billowing in from one end of the station. A voice directed us to exit,” said the witness, who added that the noise came as an express train moved through the Upper West Side station.
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