Amtrak service resumes through New York Penn Station, but the restart was far from routine. The company said trains were moving again from 12:45 p.m. ET, even as “multiple train cancellations and adjustments” remained in effect.

Amtrak service resumes through New York Penn Station
Photo: Amtrak

Amtrak service resumes through New York Penn Station after fire

The New York Penn Station disruption started early in the day, after a fire broke out on track 11 near the station. Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road were all affected, turning the incident into a broad service interruption. A company website advisory described the restored service and remaining adjustments, while an earlier report had listed the cancellations.

One of the canceled services was the westbound Cardinal to Chicago via Washington. The disruption also led Amtrak to cancel the eastbound Cardinal that was scheduled to leave Chicago on Saturday. So while trains had begun moving again, the operating picture was still unsettled.

NJ Transit service to New York Penn Station resumed as well, though the agency told passengers to expect delays of up to 60 minutes and possible cancellations. Midtown Direct trains were still being sent to Hoboken, with bus operators and PATH trains cross-honoring tickets. Raritan Valley Line trains were also set to start and finish at Hoboken for the remainder of the day.

Northeast Corridor trains that normally operate as express services were instead making local stops. NJ Transit linked that change to an equipment shortage caused by the disruption, with station details available through its New York Penn Station service page. Long Island Rail Road service had returned earlier, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority later showed Penn Station routes running on time or close to schedule.

Track 11 fire caused infrastructure damage

At a press conference, Amtrak Chief Operations Officer Gery Williams said the fire was believed to have started in the power car of contractor maintenance-of-way equipment associated with ballast-cleaning work. He described the consist as including a powered unit, a conveyor belt, and, in general, several ballast cars.

Williams said Amtrak believed the power car was the specific component that caught fire. The equipment was not carrying out ballast cleaning at the time; it was being moved from one location to another. The fire damaged catenary, signal, and track infrastructure, although Williams said no damage estimate was available at that stage.

For Amtrak, calculating the cost of the damage was not the first priority during the recovery effort, according to Williams. The immediate focus was to restore movement through the station and manage the disruption across the affected rail services.

NorthJersey.com had reported earlier that the fire happened while Amtrak was dealing with repairs after a separate incident on Thursday evening, when a piece of concrete fell onto a train. Williams said the two events were unrelated.

He said the concrete fell onto the pantograph of a New Jersey Transit train at about 6:51 p.m. on May 28. Power then had to be shut off to tracks 8, 10, and 13. After that type of incident, Williams said, crews inspect the area where the concrete is believed to have originated. He added that he was not aware of any required repairs and noted that the platform location was some distance from the fire scene.

NJ Transit delays add pressure on Amtrak and MTA

The New York Times reported that Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber called the situation “unacceptable.” His comments reflected frustration with the latest service disruption, as well as other recent issues, including a two-day suspension of LIRR service earlier in the month after another fire.

Lieber said that when impacts of this kind are seen in New York, they raise questions about what is happening at Amtrak. He also said the MTA needs reassurance that these disruptions will not keep happening again and again.

Williams said he agreed that the situation was unacceptable. At the same time, he described the fires as anomalies and said they were completely separate incidents. He also pointed to ongoing work that has closed one tube of the East River tunnels on the opposite side of Penn Station from the latest fire.

In Williams’ view, the incidents cited were not caused by infrastructure. He argued that Amtrak had done a strong job keeping service moving while operating with one fewer tunnel available. Even so, the latest New York Penn Station fire disruption has put more pressure on an already strained relationship between Amtrak and the MTA.

Amtrak has sued the MTA over its refusal to allow non-revenue trains, including test runs of new Acela equipment, to use Metro-North tracks. The MTA, in turn, has blamed Amtrak for delays to the Penn Station Access project, which is intended to bring Metro-North service to the Bronx.