Severe delays for NJ Transit and Amtrak at NY-Penn Station due to power problems

NJ Transit and Amtrak service to and from New York’s Penn Station faced massive delays Thursday night after a power outage in the middle of rush hour caused extended disruptions.

According to Amtrak, power was restored at around 5:30 p.m. and all train service between New Haven and Philadelphia had resumed. However, due to traffic congestion and single-track sections of track, “significant delays” are to be expected, the transport company said.

Amtrak had previously said the service disruption, which lasted several hours Thursday afternoon, was due to a “malfunctioning circuit breaker” that caused a power outage on the tracks between New York Penn Station and Newark Union Station. Amtrak and NJ Transit later said a brush fire in Secaucus also caused problems with the trains.

NJ Transit said service resumed shortly before 6 p.m. and Trenton and Long Branch trains left NY Penn Station at 5:50 p.m. Delays of up to 90 minutes are expected throughout the evening.

NJ Transit said its tickets and passes would be mutually accepted by NJ Transit, private buses and PATH at Newark Penn, Hoboken and 33rd Street.

NJ Transit said there are trains from Newark to Trenton and recommended that passengers heading south take the PATH to Newark. Commuters from Dover and Montclair were told to take the PATH to Hoboken to catch their trains there.

Due to power problems, some Amtrak trains ended up in Philadelphia or Newark.

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

Earlier this week, Amtrak warned that high temperatures in the region could force trains to operate at lower speeds, causing afternoon delays of up to 60 minutes.