MNR trains currently running out of Yankee Stadium stop

An aerial shot of the fire on the bridge spanning the Harlem River at 138th St. (Photo via WTNH)

(Update 2:16 p.m.): All Metro-North service to and from Grand Central is currently suspended due to a fire on the pier underneath the 138th St. Lift Bridge that spans the Harlem River. Although the fire has been nearly extinguished, MTA officials say service across the bridge will not run “any time soon.” Instead, Metro-North service will run north from Yankee Stadium, and southbound service, operating hourly, will terminate at the stadium stop.

Nearly 250,000 commuters will find their commutes significantly slowed tonight. For service out of the city, Metro-North officials are urging commuters to take the 4, B or D trains to Yankee Stadium from which the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines will all operate. For access to Grand Central and points south, Harlem and New Haven line customers should board the 2 or 5 at Woodlawn while Hudson line customers can catch the 4, B or D at Yankee Stadium or the 1 at Marble Hill-225th Street.

“All northbound Metro-North service this afternoon and probably this evening will be staged out of Metro-North’s new Yankees – E 153rd Street station,” Metro-North said this afternoon in a statement. “Customers should take the #4 or D subway to 161st Street and walk west to the new MNR station. Transit is cross-honoring MNR tickets and passes for southbound travel. Northbound customers will have to buy a MetroCard.”

The fire started at approximately 11:45 a.m. when a transformer on the bridge exploded, the city’s Office of Emergency Management said. A train passing over the span was able to pass through unharmed. Officials say that the bridge has suffered heat damage to the concrete underpinnings, the track tracks and electrical equipment. The MTA does not know when Metro-North service to and from Grand Central will be restored.

I’ll continue to update this post as more information becomes available.