Commuters in NYC and DC should get ready for a difficult, disrupted journey due to the global IT outage

• Arrival information is unavailable for many Subway routes in NYC and DC because of a global IT outage.
• Transport authorities say trains and buses are running as scheduled, though.
• Some UK train services "may be affected by alterations and cancellations," the UK's National Rail said.

Commuters in NYC and DC should prepare for some disruptions on Friday morning over the global IT outage.

Though transport authorities in both NYC and DC say that trains and buses are running as scheduled, arrival information is unavailable for many routes, including both at stations and on the authorities' websites and apps.

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on its website that train arrival information was unavailable for the A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, M, N, Q, R, W, and Z Subway routes as well as the Rockaway Park Shuttle and Franklin Avenue Shuttle services.

The MTA said the outage affected its website, app, countdown clocks, and train arrival announcements in stations and told passengers to listen for station and crew announcements instead. "This technical outage also impacts our ability to see train locations, so we cannot provide that information," NYCT Subway wrote on X.

The MTA added that train and bus services were "unaffected."

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority made similar comments, saying that all Metrorail stations opened on time and that Metrorail and bus services were running as scheduled. At the time of writing, its website was down.

It said at 6 a.m. ET that MetroAccess, its shared-ride service for people with disabilities, was experiencing delays, and its call center was down.

Amtrak said at 7 a.m. ET on its website that the outage was preventing credit card transactions, but that passengers could pay using digital wallets.

Major airlines, banks, and supermarkets are experiencing widespread disruptions linked to an IT outage after Microsoft reported problems with its online services, linked to an issue at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

Some train services in the UK have been affected by the outage, too. Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern, and Gatwick Express — which runs a shuttle to one of the UK's busiest airports — "may be affected by alterations and cancellations," the UK's National Rail said on Friday.

It said that some train operators were unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, which could lead to potential short-notice train cancellations. Other key systems, including real-time customer information platforms, were also affected.