Service suspensions at NY’s Penn Station snarl commutes yet again
June 21, 2024, 9:59 a.m.
The disruptions follow a meltdown that left commuters stranded at the transit hub just a day earlier.
The suspensions come after an already messy week for the commuter hub.
New York’s Penn Station was in chaos for the third time this week after all rail service in and out of the station was suspended during prime commuting time on Friday morning, NJ Transit said.
Service in and out of Penn Station had resumed around 10:30 a.m., albeit with 45-minute delays, NJ Transit said in a post on X.
Midtown Direct service was still being diverted to Hoboken, the company said.
NJ Transit alerts on Friday morning blamed Amtrak for “overhead wire issues.” But Amtrak also said via X that all of its rail service between Philadelphia and New York was being delayed or modified because of a disabled commuter train in New York.
NJ Transit said all rail tickets and passes would be cross-honored by its own buses and private carrier buses as well as on the PATH service at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Station and 33rd Street in New York. It was also directing customers to its options for alternate service.
A spokesperson for Amtrak was not immediately available to comment on the snafu, which came after an already messy week: A meltdown at the transit hub on Thursday afternoon left commuters packed and stranded for hours as they tried to get home, and a disabled train slowed travel late Tuesday morning.
According to the transit agencies, overhead wire issues were the root causes of both issues Tuesday and Thursday. A brush fire in northern New Jersey on Thursday afternoon added to the difficulties of keeping trains running.
Some of the wire issues could be related to this week’s excessive heat, which can cause the overhead lines to sag.
But problems with Amtrak service were even percolating on May 22, when service suspensions resulted in hourslong delays. In response, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to Amtrak asking to meet, leading both sides to pledge they would communicate better in the future without offering specifics about when customers might see the changes.
In a press conference this week, Murphy called Tuesday’s service meltdown “unacceptable” and pledged to look into it.
NJ Transit and Amtrak commuters face Penn Station meltdown for 2nd time this week NY Penn Station commuters facing major delays due to wire issues and disabled train