Severe delays for NJ Transit, Amtrak at NY-Penn Station due to power issues

NJ Transit and Amtrak service to and from New York Penn Station faced massive delays Thursday evening after a power problem caused extended disruption during rush hour.

According to Amtrak, all power had been restored by 5:30 p.m. and all rail service had resumed between New Haven and Philadelphia — but “significant delays” could be expected due to the backup traffic and single-tracking, the transit agency said.

Amtrak had previously said the service suspension, which lasted for hours Thursday afternoon, was caused by a “defective circuit breaker” that caused a loss of power on the tracks between New York Penn Station and Newark Union Station. Amtrak and NJ Transit later said a wildfire in Secaucus had also caused problems for trains.

NJ Transit said service resumed just before 6 p.m., with trains on the Trenton and Long Branch lines leaving NY-Penn Station at 5:50 p.m. Delays of up to 90 minutes were still expected throughout the evening.

NJ Transit said its tickets and passes were honored by NJ Transit, private buses and PATH at Newark Penn, Hoboken and 33rd Street.

NJ Transit said trains run from Newark to Trenton and encouraged passengers traveling south to take the PATH to Newark. Commuters from Dover and Montclair were told to take the PATH to Hoboken to access their trains.

Some Amtrak trains ended in Philadelphia or Newark due to power problems.

PATH also reported “network connectivity issues” at Newark Penn Station on Thursday afternoon, leading to delays on the World Trade Center – Newark line, but these were resolved before 5 p.m. and service was reportedly back to normal.

Earlier this week, Amtrak warned of the high temperatures the region is experiencing, which may require trains to run at lower speeds and cause delays of up to 60 minutes in the afternoon.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com