Overview
- A vacuum work train used for overnight track cleaning caught fire on the southbound express tracks at Astor Place early Tuesday just before 2:30 a.m., filling the station with heavy smoke and forcing commuters to evacuate to the street.
- Emergency crews responded and up to 12 people were reported injured, with local outlets identifying seven MTA workers and five firefighters among those hurt.
- The blaze disrupted 4 and 6 train service through the station and MTA and local coverage advised riders to use surface buses such as the M15, M102, or M103 between Grand Central‑42 St and Brooklyn Bridge‑City Hall.
- A vacuum train is a maintenance vehicle that suctions debris from tracks overnight to prevent fires and delays, and its failure in this case raises immediate safety and operational questions for MTA overnight work procedures.
- Officials have not released a confirmed cause or investigation outcome, and follow-up reporting will likely focus on how the fire started, the condition of the injured, and when 4 and 6 service will be fully restored.