NJ Transit Delays Due To Disabled Amtrak Train In Tunnel: Jan. 25

Trains in and out of New York Penn Station were subject to up to 30-minute delays on Thursday morning due to a disabled Amtrak train in one of the Hudson River Tunnels, NJ Transit authorities said.

NJ Transit initially reported 15-minute delays due to the disabled Amtrak train around 9 a.m. That estimate doubled shortly afterward; many commuters reported delays of up to an hour on social media.

Around 10:20 a.m., NJ Transit said that trains in and out of New York Penn Station were operating “on or close to schedule,” with residual delays to trains already enroute.

Disabled trains are becoming an increasingly frequent frustration for NJ Transit and Amtrak riders who pass through the century-old Hudson River tunnels, the only existing rail connection between New Jersey and New York Penn Station. These rail tunnels, which serve both Amtrak and NJ Transit trains, were already in need of repair when they were badly damaged in 2012 by millions of gallons of seawater from Superstorm Sandy.

Recent incidents include:

• Nov. 10 - NJ Transit rail riders experienced delays on several lines headed in and out of New York Penn Station during the morning rush hour. The culprit behind the delays? A disabled train, the agency said.
• Dec. 6 - About 200 people were stuck on a disabled New Jersey Transit train for nearly an hour when it broke down in a tunnel underneath the Hudson River, a New Jersey Transit spokesperson said.
• Jan. 8 - A disabled Amtrak train in one of the Hudson River tunnels caused lingering train service delays in and out of New York Penn Station for NJ Transit riders.

For years, commuter advocates and state officials in New Jersey and New York have lauded a possible solution to the area’s notorious bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor rail line - the Gateway Tunnel project – which would create a two-track tube for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains under the Hudson River.

However, the future of the $13 billion project was put in serious jeopardy earlier this month when Trump-era Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials effectively put the kibosh on its funding plan.

• See related article: $13B Gateway Tunnel In Jeopardy; Feds Trash Obama-Era Deal

The FTA's announcement came just months after Amtrak repairs at New York Penn Station caused an uproar among local commuters during the "Summer of Hell," when Amtrak and NJ Transit saw heavy fire for repeated delays and other maintenance and infrastructural problems.

• See related article: Gov. Phil Murphy Orders 'Full-Scale Audit' Of New Jersey Transit

ICE IN THE TUNNELS, ONGOING AMTRAK WORK

On Thursday, NJ Transit also issued a separate alert at 8:38 a.m. about ongoing ice removal in the tunnels that may cause future delays:

“Effective immediately and continuing until further notice, Amtrak crews will periodically remove ice in the Hudson River Tunnels between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. As a result, NJ Transit trains must single track during that time, and customers may experience some delays. We regret any inconvenience and we thank you for your patience.”

Earlier this month, Amtrak also began ongoing track work at New York Penn Station. The work is expected to conclude on May 28, 2018, with minor modifications to Amtrak and commuter train weekday operations at the station, Amtrak stated.

NJ Transit stated that the Amtrak work will impact select NJ Transit peak period train service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL), with scheduled service adjustments slated to run until May 28, 2018.

• See related article: After Mild 'Summer Of Hell,' Will Winter Work Slow Penn Station?

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