Traffic & Transit
Fire Causes Suspension Of Some Amtrak, NJ Transit Lines Friday Morning
Some NJ Transit and Amtrak routes into and out of Penn Station were suspended after a fire Friday morning.
NORTH JERSEY — Several NJ Transit and Amtrak train routes were suspended Friday morning due to a train fire in one of the transit tunnels, the agencies said.
"Due to Amtrak overhead wire and infrastructure damage resulting from an earlier Amtrak track car fire in one of the Hudson River tunnels, NJ Transit rail service is suspended between Penn Station New York and Newark Penn Station, with cancellations and delays expected," NJ Transit wrote around 6:30 a.m.
They said Midtown Direct service was being diverted to Hoboken. NJ Transit tickets were being cross-honored by buses and PATH trains at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street.
Find out what's happening in Hobokenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Meanwhile, Main, Bergen County, Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Line rail service was bypassing Secaucus due to the suspension, the agency said.
Customers should visit njtransit.com/abc for updates, and information on alternate transportation and cross-honoring.
Find out what's happening in Hobokenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Amtrak Suspensions
Amtrak responded to Patch with a statement saying all service between New York and New Jersey had been temporarily suspended after a fire around 1:25 a.m.
Service was restored to points north of New York City later in the morning, but service heading south was still suspended as of 8 a.m.
The fire involved an Amtrak contractor maintenance train just outside of the Hudson River tunnels, they said.
"Amtrak service restoration to and from New York from New Jersey and points south is not expected until this afternoon," they wrote. "Amtrak service to and from points north and east of New York is temporarily reduced. Amtrak apologizes for the inconvenience and is providing rebooking opportunities and refunds."
The New York Times reported that the fire occurred near Penn Station and injured five people. Neither transit agency responded to questions about injuries.
NJ Transit lines were also suspended for a time on Thursday night after a person was fatally struck by a train near Elizabeth Station.
More information can be found at njtransit.com/abc.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
