‘Summer Of Hell’ For Train Commuters in Rockland, Orange: Watch AMTRAK Video

Amtrak has released early plans for the dreaded “Summer of Hell” repairs coming to New York Penn Station. And they don’t bode well for Orange and Rockland residents who rely on train service for their daily commutes.

Following multiple derailments at the busy station, as well as track maintenance issues including "disabled trains,” Amtrak announced plans to embark on a series of major track and switch renewal projects that will ultimately “improve reliability at America’s busiest rail hub.”

In addition to anyone passing through Penn Station, the resulting schedule changes are expected to have a ripple effect as commuters seek alternatives including PATH and the Hudson River ferries.

According to a Tuesday statement from Amtrak, the repair work – which has already begun – is expected to last until June 2018.

Commuters passing through Penn Station can expect to encounter the heaviest delays when the major work takes place in July and August, a period that Gov. Andrew Cuomo dubbed the “Summer of Hell.”

According to Amtrak:

“A majority of this work will take place during weekends with little or no disruptions to weekday service, however, the more extensive work will take place during the weekdays of July and August, which will cause modifications to train schedules. Amtrak and its partners will plan to operate a modified scheduled July 10 to Sept. 1 to accommodate this work… Additional work will continue through 2018, with minimal impacts to regular service.”

NJ TRANSIT DELAYS

NJ Transit – which has seen its service through Penn Station dramatically affected as a result of the Amtrak repair project – recently said that riders traveling to and from New York Penn Station can expect to see “indefinite” delays while repairs are taking place.

Between July 10 and Sept. 1, all Midtown Direct trains will terminate at Hoboken… meaning commuters will have to use another way into New York City.

Commuters won't have to pay the same amount for disrupted service, NJ Transit officials said. A roughly 50 percent discount will be given off the price of a ticket during the Amtrak repairs.

• See related article: Cuomo Proposes Penn Station Takeover As Commuters Face 'Summer Of Hell'

AMTRAK CHANGES

On Tuesday, Amtrak said that the following schedule changes will go into effect from July 10 to Sept. 1:

• Northeast Regional Service: “Three round trip trains (six total trains) between New York and Washington cancelled. Service between New York and Boston will operate at currently scheduled levels.”
• Keystone Service: “Three round trip trains (six total trains) will start and end in Philadelphia, and one round trip train (two total trains) will start/end at Newark. Service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg will operate at currently scheduled levels.”
• Empire Service: “To be announced shortly.”
• Long-Distance Service: “The Crescent — operating between New York and New Orleans — will originate and terminate in Washington daily during work period. Connections will be provided on other Northeast Corridor trains.”

There are no schedule changes expected for Acela Express service, Amtrak stated.

“If you rely on riding a train into or out of New York Penn Station during the summer months, you may need to adjust your commuting schedule or travel plans,” Amtrak officials said.

“Amtrak will not be providing alternate transportation,” the agency said. “While we recognize the modified schedule will create some inconvenience, we will still be operating train service into and out of the station this summer.”

WHY ARE THE REPAIRS NEEDED?

According to Amtrak, here’s what will take place:

“Amtrak will be completing a full replacement and renewal of infrastructure in A-interlocking. A-Interlocking is an area of tracks and switches that serves as the critical sorting mechanism routing trains that enter Penn Station from the Hudson River tunnels and the Long Island Rail Road’s West Side Yard to the various tracks and platforms in the station. While Amtrak has been able to maintain and repair this infrastructure as-needed over the years, some of the current components are dated and full replacement is required to improve the reliability of this infrastructure at this complex and critical point of the station.”

Amtrak added:

“We recognize that there is never a good time to do this work but it needs to get done and our plan is designed to try and keep long-term disruptions to a minimum. We have been able to maintain and repair this infrastructure as-needed over the years, but some of the current components need full replacement to improve the reliability of this infrastructure at this complex and critical point of the station.”

By Eric Kiefer (Patch Staff)

PHOTOS/ Amtrak