Disabled Train At Penn Station; NJ Transit, PATH Delays: Jan. 8

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A disabled Amtrak train in one of the Hudson River tunnels caused lingering train service delays in and out of New York Penn Station on Monday for NJ Transit riders. Meanwhile, PATH officials also reported suspensions and delays to multiple train lines due to "signal failure" and a "broken rail."

Both agencies reported that the other was cross-honoring ticket holders for certain lines, making for a confusing morning rush hour to kick off the week.

NJ Transit authorities originally stated on social media that delays from the disabled Amtrak train would be about 20 minutes, but upped that estimate to 45 minutes soon afterward. The estimate grew to 60 minutes in an update made around 9:30 a.m.

According to NJ Transit, PATH is accepting NJ Transit rail tickets and passes at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street. NJ Transit buses and private carriers are also cross-honoring, officials said.

However, the PATH system had its own issues on Monday morning when service on the JSQ-33rd Street line, NWK-WTC line and the HOB-WTC line hit snags due to a "signal failure," the Port Authority of NY/NJ stated.

About 20 minutes later, PATH officials provided an update and said that the signal failure suspended service on the JSQ-33rd Street line and HOB-WTC line, as well as between JSQ-WTC.

Shortly afterward, PATH officials provided an update for several lines:

• HOB-WTC service was suspended
• HOB-33 service was running with delays
• JSQ-WTC service was suspended
• NWK-JSQ service was operational
• JSQ-33 service was suspended

PATH officials said that NJ Transit and NJ Transit buses were cross-honoring PATH tickets at Newark, Hoboken and NY Penn Station. The Hudson Bergen Light Rail was cross-honoring at Hoboken, Exchange Place and Newport.

In an update made just minutes after the suspension announcements, PATH officials confirmed that the PATH train was operating on the Hoboken to 33rd Street line and from Journal Square to World Trade Center in both directions.

The Port Authority of NY/NJ issued the following statement at 11 a.m. on Monday:

"Service on all PATH lines has resumed with residual delays on the Journal Square to 33rd and Newark to World Trade Center lines after service was suspended earlier this morning for approximately 90 minutes due to a broken rail west of the Grove Street Station in Jersey City.

"At approximately 8:30 a.m., the Hoboken to World Trade and Hoboken to 33rd Street and Journal Square to World Trade and Journal Square to 33rd Street lines were temporarily suspended to accommodate a temporary fix. Resumption of service on all lines occurred around 10 a.m. NJ Transit cross-honored service for PATH during the shutdown. PATH communicated the situation to passengers in trains, on platforms, via e-alerts and Twitter. NJ Transit was itself subject to delays on trans-Hudson service. PATH services for the evening commute are expected to be normal."

YEESH... WHAT ELSE CAN GO WRONG?

In addition to the delays at NJ Transit and PATH and the confusion over who was cross-honoring what lines, a suspect rammed a stolen police car into an entrance near the ferry slip at Hoboken Terminal on Monday morning. Police arrested a suspect and taped off the area in the wake of the crash.

Ferry service wasn't affected by the crash, NBC New York reported.

Elevator #55 at the Exchange Place station - which operates from street to mezzanine level was also temporarily out of service during the morning rush hour, PATH officials said.

The hectic morning for North Jersey and New York commuters took place on the same day that Amtrak kicked off a new series of track renewal projects at New York Penn Station, causing minor schedule changes that the agency had been announcing for months.

The work is expected to conclude on May 28, 2018, with minor modifications to Amtrak and commuter train weekday operations at New York Penn Station, Amtrak stated.

• See related article: After Mild 'Summer Of Hell,' Will Winter Work Slow Penn Station?
• See related article: $13B Gateway Tunnel In Jeopardy; Feds Trash Obama-Era Deal

A CONFUSING WAY TO START OFF THE WEEK

NJ Transit and PATH riders reported a frustratingly confusing commute on Monday morning.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Amtrak