The MTA says fewer subway trains will be running in NYC

You may have to wait a few minutes longer for your train to come, New Yorkers.

On Monday, the MTA announced that trains will run less frequently now through at least Thursday than usual because of COVID cases among its staff.

"Like everyone in New York, we've been affected by the COVID surge. We’re taking proactive steps to provide the best, most consistent service we can. That means you may wait a little longer for your train," the agency tweeted.

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By reducing scheduled service, the MTA says it's able to re-allocate train crews where they're needed, rather than cancel individual trips. It is also "working quickly" to implement New York State's revised quarantine guidelines for essential workers, which will help with staff shortages.

 

MTA Acting Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber went on 1010 WINS on Monday to explain more about what riders should expect.

"What we're doing is just like we've been doing for some time during COVID which is dealing with the fact that we have a little tightness on crews by adjusting schedules slightly. People are not going to see dramatic changes they may wait a minute or two longer on a platform," he said on 1010 WINS.

To help keep trains running, the MTA has invited retirees to come back to work and given incentives to staffers if they delay vacations during the holiday season among other steps.

"Obviously, we're going to have a slight downtick during this little upsurge, but I think that the overall picture is people are ready to come back to transit and resume their normal patterns, and we'll see how things play out in the next couple of weeks. But we're optimistic," he added.

As always, check your line on mta.info to make sure it's running on time before heading out.