In addition to facing standing-room-only rides on their commutes and service changes due to Amtrak’s Penn Station renewal work starting up again this week, New Jersey Transit passengers on Thursday saw multiple delays due to an overhead wire problem at the busy New York rail hub.
Service on several trains to and from PSNY were delayed by at least 20 minutes during the early part of the morning rush hour. Though Amtrak resolved the issue and NJ Transit was operating on or close to its normal schedule about an hour later, riders did experience residual delays.
Train service in and out of Penn Station New York is subject up to 20 minute delays due to Amtrak overhead wire problem in Penn Station New York.
Path is accepting NJT Rail ticket and passes at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and New York 33rd St.
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 11, 2018
Train service in/out of PSNY is operating on/close to schedule with residual delays to trains still en route following earlier Amtrak overhead wire problem in PSNY. PATH is no longer cross honoring NJT Rail ticket and passes at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and New York 33rd St.
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 11, 2018
Additionally, passengers on the agency’s Atlantic City Rail Line faced delays of up to 45 minutes in both directions due to equipment issues, NJ Transit said, and its buses were cross-honoring ACRL tickets.
Atlantic City Rail Line service remains subject to up to 45 minute delays in both directions due to equipment issues.
NJ Transit Bus will cross-honor NJ Transit Atlantic City Rail Line ticket and passes.
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 11, 2018
Thursday’s issues were the latest in what was already a long week for NJ Transit passengers.
On Monday, the service changes due to Amtrak’s repair work at PSNY went into effect — and will remain until the work, which will mostly be relegated to the weekends, is complete in May. Amtrak owns and maintains tracks used by both NJ Transit and the Long Island Rail Road at Penn Station.
Riders on Monday morning were also subjected to hour-long delays after a train became disabled in the Hudson River tunnel.
On Wednesday, passengers took to social media to take NJ Transit to task for overcrowded trains, many of which were standing-room only, CBS2 reported.
When asked by the network for an explanation, the agency said it was running fewer trains and is “currently working through a backlog of weather-related equipment issues and is returning cars to service as quickly as possible.”
But it may not be quick enough as incoming Gov. Phil Murphy, who takes office Tuesday, is asking for several senior staffers at NJ Transit to step down, NJ.com reported.
Murphy, who vowed on the campaign trail to reform NJ Transit, called the agency a “national disgrace” last month.
