January 24, 2005
AP
NEW YORK (AP) - One of the city's busiest subway lines has been suspended and another severely limited, possibly for years, after a fire destroyed an equipment room at a station in lower Manhattan.
The C line - which runs through Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens - was suspended Sunday following the fire at the Chambers Street station and will be out of service indefinitely, the Metropolitan Transport Authority said Monday.
The MTA said it also was severely limiting the A line, which runs parallel to the C line for much of its route and extends to John F. Kennedy International Airport, causing "significant delays."
The fire was set in a shopping cart on the platform, igniting cables above the platform and causing millions of dollars in damage to equipment, officials said.
The fire is believed to have been set intentionally and is under investigation, officials said.
The MTA said service may be gradually restored, but it could take a few years to completely repair the damaged equipment and return the lines to full service.
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