MTA’s Aug. 29 power outage attributed to human error
An Aug. 29 power outage that left half of the New York City Transit (NYCT) subway system at a standstill was caused by someone manually activating a power off switch. The switch in question lacked a protective plastic cover that could have prevented it being activated.
Two engineering firms, HDR and WSP, issued separate reports on the incident that occurred over a two-hour and 50-minute timeframe during the evening of Aug. 29. According to the HDR report, Con Edison experienced a dip in power at 8:25 p.m. Several pieces of mechanical equipment stopped functioning at the Rail Control Center (RCC) of NYCT shortly after the power dip. At 9:06 p.m., all electrical equipment connected to one of the power distribution units at the RCC lost power because an emergency button had been activated. At 10:30 p.m., breakers on the power distribution unit were reset, which made power available to all loads connected to the power distribution unit and at 11:15 p.m., all systems at the RCC were restored to normal.
While human error caused the initial power loss, the WSP report states “it took too long for maintenance personnel to bring back to service the critical loads at the RCC, which is not acceptable.”
The delay was due to “inadequate maintenance organizational structure at the RCC” and a “lack of a proper power distribution monitoring system,” per the HDR report.
"I am directing mitigation steps to ensure riders are not interrupted by these causes ever again," said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. "New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in a fully functioning subway system, and it is our job to restore that confidence. I am also directing the MTA to review all operation control centers across the entire system to identify any further potential weaknesses and provide assurance in preventing a situation like this from happening ever again. We will deliver the modernization, enhancements and reliability that riders deserve."
The reports included several recommendations, including the reorganization of the RCC maintenance management structure and protocols, the installation (where feasible) of additional equipment to provide alternate electrical circuits to feel all electrical load in the building and the implementation of a modern Building Management System (BMS) that would give details regarding the status of the electrical, distribution, mechanical and security systems.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the agency will install additional cable connections to improve the building’s power redundancy and install a BMS to provide detailed visibility of the status of the building’s electrical, distribution, mechanical and security systems.
“The report tasks the MTA with immediately reorganizing how we maintain and manage key systems that support the RCC,” said Lieber. “I want to thank Gov. Hochul for really digging into these issues with us and helping to identify lasting solutions."
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
