After the recent Amtrak suspension at Penn Station: What now for customers?

A lightning strike on Saturday caused the third temporary suspension of Amtrak service at Penn Station in Manhattan in just over two weeks.

Due to the recent disruption, service to Boston was interrupted Saturday afternoon. Service was restored around 9 p.m. Saturday.

The suspension also affected some Amtrak trains on Sunday.

Amtrak subsequently said in a statement that it is “communicating directly with customers affected by these adjustments and offering them options to rebook their travel plans. Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.”

However, questions remain about the suspensions, the possibility of further suspensions in the future and the steps transport authorities are taking to allay customer concerns.

What remedies are available to an Amtrak customer if their train is cancelled?

In the case of the suspension on Saturday, Amtrak said in a statement that affected customers would be “rebooked on trains with similar departure times or on another day.”

The company waived additional fees for affected customers who wanted to change their reservation.

Amtrak provides more information about general options for travelers on its website.

“You can change your trip due to a delay or cancellation on Amtrak.com or through the Amtrak app, by texting a customer service representative at 268725, chatting on Amtrak.com, speaking with ticket agents at the station, or calling 800-872-7245.

What led to the suspension of services?

A passenger representative said at least some of the suspensions were due to “aging infrastructure.”

Amtrak’s Gateway Program, a series of infrastructure projects to improve the 10-mile stretch of rail between Newark and Penn Station, is underway.

“While there are many improvement and repair projects underway, you can’t fix everything at once and try to keep a system running,” said Bruce Becker, president of the Empire State Passengers Association. “I think the high temperatures certainly contributed to that.”

Jason Abrams, Amtrak’s senior public relations manager, said Saturday’s suspension was merely a result of the lightning strike and not a symptom of something larger.

What steps are taken to investigate Amtrak service disruptions?

According to Newsday, Amtrak and NJ Transit announced a joint plan on June 27 to investigate the causes of the June 20 and 21 service disruptions that affected service at Penn Station.

A circuit breaker failure forced Amtrak to temporarily halt train service between Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and New Haven’s Union Station on June 20. The next morning, power problems and a stalled train at Penn Station delayed NJ Transit and Amtrak service in and out of the city.

Amtrak and NJ Transit will conduct “extensive and frequent” inspections of their infrastructure and equipment, including the 170 miles of track between Trenton and New York City, signals and overhead wires, Amtrak said in a press release last month.

“We understand the impact of recent events on Amtrak and NJ Transit customers and their families and share their frustration,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in the press release. “It is critical that we work with NJ Transit to determine the root cause of these disruptions and restore the on-time service and quality customers expect.”