New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains coming into and out of New York Penn Station are experiencing lengthy delays Monday morning as freezing temperatures hit parts of the tristate area.
Rail service headed into Manhattan from New Jersey is subjected to up to hour-long delays while trains between Philadelphia and New York along the Northeast Corridor were suspended after Amtrak’s overhead wiring system near Newark Penn Station was damaged.
Extreme weather can strain the ancient power infrastructure that runs through the Northeast Corridor, the busiest rail segment in the nation. The system is vulnerable to swings in the temperature both hot and cold, according to the Amtrak website. Harsh conditions often cause the overhead wiring to expand and contract, delaying service or sometimes halting it altogether.
Crews are working to address the power system, according to a statement, which didn’t further elaborate on the cause of the issues. The railroad operator doesn’t have an estimated time of repair.
NJ Transit tickets are being cross honored at Newark, Hoboken and 33rd Street, and both the transport systems’ and private carriers’ buses. Train service along the North Jersey Coast and Northeast Corridor lines were suspended in both directions. Commuters traveling via Raritan Valley service in and out of Penn Station are also experiencing up to 60 minute delays near Newark, with East Midtown direct service being diverted to Hoboken, according to the agency’s X posts.
(c) Washington Post