new york — Officials say dangling overhead wires blocked railroad tracks and caused chaos during the Wednesday evening commute.
The problems began at the beginning of the evening rush in Kearney, New Jersey, forcing many people to delay returning home. Amtrak said in a statement that crews were cleaning the tracks and that by 9:30 p.m. the single-track line between New York City and Newark had been restored to allow for minimal service.
Amtrak initially issued a warning around 5 p.m. that service between New York City and Newark was suspended due to downed overhead wires. In the latest update, the railroad has expanded it to travel between New York City and Philadelphia as well.
Delays are also occurring on multiple New Jersey Transit lines. New Jersey Transit later issued a statement saying suspensions and delays may continue Thursday.
Amtrak said passengers should expect significant delays as crews work to resolve the issue, and that it was offering assistance to rebook passengers via its reservations center.
Commuter dissatisfaction
Video from Chopper 2 shows crowds outside Newark Penn Station and a train stopped on the tracks in Elizabeth.
Wednesday was the second day in a row that the same issue caused major disruptions for New Jersey transit agencies. Midtown Direct’s service will be diverted to Hoboken, and tickets will be given to each other.
“The reality is, I was just obsessed. I was tired of flying and I thought, ‘Oh, this is great,’ so this is very unexpected,” said Ana Maria Lopez of Caldwell.
“There are problems with the trains every day,” said one commuter. “I’m not going to sit here and wait for the train to come. Either way, I can’t go to work.”
“We were on our way home and decided to have a few drinks but we were drunk so it was a bad idea,” another said.
“There’s nothing we can do but accept it,” added another.
There was a long line at the Amtrak ticket office at Moynihan Train Hall. Samantha Taylor and her family, who were headed to Philadelphia from India, were among those stranded in New York City.
“I saw on the app that my train was cancelled, so I checked the next one and it wasn’t available today,” Taylor said.
“Everything is delayed. I don’t think it will make it all the way to Trenton, so I sent everything to my boss,” said Lamesha Taylor of the Bronx.
“There are no buses going that way,” added Yolanda Crudup of Ewing Township, New Jersey.
