All trains running between New York and Philadelphia were halted on Wednesday evening due to fallen electrical wires in Kearny, N.J., which provide power to the trains at Pennsylvania Station. This outage affected both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit services. Long Island Rail Road and subway trains were not impacted. It is unclear if the issue is related to construction work on the Portal Bridge in Kearny, New Jersey Transit’s spokesperson Jason Abrams stated that crews were working to restore power as of 7:15 p.m., but there was no estimated time for when train service would resume.
Passengers on New Jersey Transit can use their tickets and passes on PATH trains, which are operating between Manhattan and New Jersey. Additionally, travelers have the option to take a ferry to Hoboken, where six New Jersey Transit lines are in service. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees both Long Island Rail Road and subway services, confirmed that trains stopping at Penn Station were unaffected by the power outage. As of the evening, authorities were still working to resolve the issue and bring train services back to normal.
The power outage began at 5:05 p.m. and caused all Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains between New York and Philadelphia to be suspended. Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams stated that the fallen wires were the cause of the disruption, but did not provide further details on what led to the incident. The outage highlighted the importance of reliable infrastructure for train operations and the challenges of maintaining aging systems such as the Portal Bridge in Kearny, which is currently undergoing replacement.
New Jersey Transit riders affected by the power outage were advised to use PATH trains as an alternative transportation option between Manhattan and New Jersey. Additionally, passengers could take a ferry to Hoboken, where multiple New Jersey Transit lines are available, to avoid the disruptions at Penn Station. The outage created major inconveniences for commuters traveling between New York and Philadelphia, emphasizing the need for reliable backup plans and alternate routes during unforeseen disruptions in train service.
As of the evening, efforts to restore power and resume train services between New York and Philadelphia were ongoing, with crews working diligently to fix the fallen electrical wires. Amtrak and New Jersey Transit officials were focused on resolving the issue as quickly as possible to minimize disruptions for passengers. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of rail infrastructure and the importance of maintaining and modernizing systems to ensure reliable and efficient train operations for passengers traveling through busy hubs like Penn Station.
The unfolding situation of the power outage and fallen electrical wires in Kearny, N.J., had a cascade effect on train services between New York and Philadelphia, impacting both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit operations. The outage underscored the challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure such as the Portal Bridge and the need for ongoing investments in upgrading and modernizing transportation systems to prevent such disruptions in the future. Passengers were urged to use alternative transportation options such as PATH trains and ferries to navigate between Manhattan and New Jersey while authorities worked to restore power and resume train services at Penn Station.
