Grand Central Terminal in New York City experienced a sudden power outage Thursday night, trapping MTA workers inside an elevator and causing widespread confusion among commuters. The blackout occurred after rush hour and lasted approximately 30 minutes, with power restored to the upper level by 8:53 p.m. and the lower level by 9:17 p.m., according to MTA Communications Director Tim Minton.

The incident was attributed to a drop in voltage to the feeder network, which caused lights to go out in portions of the terminal but did not disrupt train service. Grand Central Madison, an extension of the historic station, remained unaffected.

Five Metro North railroad employees were stranded in an elevator during the outage, requiring rescue by the FDNY. Witnesses reported a momentary panic in the 33,000-square-foot terminal as darkness enveloped the area. Commuters captured footage of the pitch-black main hall around 8:30 p.m., with some describing the experience as unsettling.

Yvonne Ubillus, an employee at Grand Brasserie inside the terminal, noted that staff and customers were caught off guard. “We were in the middle of service, and then the lights just went off,” she said. Power was restored by 9 p.m., though not all systems, including gas lines, had returned to operation.

Commuter Shola Adekola described the darkness as disorienting. “It was pretty dark. You could hardly see anything,” he said. “It was scary, but fortunately, people took out their phones and turned the camera on.”

MTA officials confirmed no injuries were reported during the incident.