NJ Transit, Amtrak warn of more delays, cancellations after downed power lines strand thousands for hours
NJ Transit and Amtrak warned rush-hour commuters of canceled or delayed trips Thursday morning after thousands were stranded due to fallen electrical wires on the rail tracks.
“Customers should expect possible delays and cancellations today due to residual impacts resulting from crew availability and equipment that was out of position as a result of last evening’s service disruption caused by Amtrak’s overhead wire issues,” NJ Transit said on X.
The schedule disruption began just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when the power lines fell in Kearny, NJ, causing a complete shutdown of Northeast Corridor service, according to the New York Times.
Rush-hour commuters were forced to bunker inside New York and Newark Penn stations as workers were dispatched to clear the tracks.
Crews restored power to one of the tracks around 9:30 p.m., but minimal travel was still in place as the outage had caused travel issues at other stops along the Northeast Corridor.
“This incident has affected trains operating as far as Philadelphia, Pa. Customers traveling through the affected areas should expect extensive residual delays due to speed restrictions and rail congestion,” Amtrak revealed.
Multiple trains scheduled to depart from or travel to New York were canceled including at Philadelphia, Metropark and Trenton.
“We were supposed to leave at 5:30, all the trains are backed up and now it’s just a wait-and-see,” one traveler in New York’s Penn Station told Fox 5.
Frustrated commuters were seen sitting in stairwells and gathering around schedule boards waiting for any hopeful news.
“There’s no communication, everyone is just wandering around, got no service here, my wife’s not picking up my calls, so it’s a brutal day,” another commuter told the outlet.
Service Disruption: As of 7:13 PM ET, Due to downed overhead power lines in the area, All travel between Philadelphia and New York is temporarily stopped. We anticipate extensive delays as crews work to resolve this issue. Updates to follow as new information becomes available.
— Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNECAlerts) May 22, 2024
One frustrated commuter blamed New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for the delays, saying the anticipated 15% fare hikes overlooked much-needed restoration of the rail lines.
“When you increase the fares 15%, you need to do your job, you need to communicate with Amtrak, Amtrak needs to communicate with everyone ’cause they keep saying the trains are delayed.
“No, if you have people waiting here for an hour, it’s suspended, that is absurd,” the traveler said.
NJ Transit has since resumed limited service on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coastline departing from Penn Station.
The Raritan Valley line remained suspended a day after the evening commute while the Midtown Direct was diverted to Hoboken.
NJ Transit rail tickets and passes are being cross-honored by NJ Transit and private carrier buses, and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street-New York.
The extensive residual delays come as the New York area gears up for early travel for Memorial Day weekend and as former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally in Crotona Park on Thursday.
