Blackout on June 27th, 2007

[HYLINE SAFETY]

The blackout yesterday effected the 4,5 & 6 lines and power was lost causing numerous delays on subways and trains in NYC.

It is my understanding that during a blackout NYCT has redundancy in emergency power to move trains but the stations and their platforms are totally dark (as they're primarily underground).

Can anybody confirm that during a blackout the platforms go pitch black?

http://www.hylinesafety.com/fluorescentsleeve.html

[jersey_emt]

I would have to imagine that there is emergency lighting in the stations. I could not imagine there not being any.

[pennsy]

Hi,

All depends on how the station and the cars are set up. NYC must have learned something in 1965 when the entire East Coast went dark. The emergency lights in the subway cars came on. Those are strictly battery powered and so had a time limit. Since all power was gone, third rail included, we were helped onto the tracks and we walked to the nearest station platform. Some had emergency, battery powered, lights there as well. From there we climbed the stairs to the streets. Most of us tried to call home, but the coin boxes of the public telephones rapidly filled up and the phone would no longer function. Today with cell phones that should not occur. From the streets, we found buses, taxis, etc. to make it home.

As I remember it, we wound up having dinner by candle light. I used a battery powered radio to keep aware of what was going on with the world.