08-05-2025
NJ Transit riders face delays into Penn Station for another morning of Amtrak trouble
NJ Transit reports 30-minute delays and counting for riders heading to Penn Station in New York City.
The agency posted on social media shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday saying the delays were due to "an Amtrak switch issue and track maintenance near Elizabeth, N.J."
The delays started at 20 minutes but have since bumped to 30 for the morning rush.
Amtrak work also caused delays and disruptions for Long Island Rail Road commuters trying to get to Penn Station on Wednesday morning.
2nd day of issues on Amtrak operated tracks
The LIRR said 43 trains were delayed, five were canceled and six were diverted.
"What took place this morning was unacceptable, it should not happen and cannot happen again. Tens of thousands of Long Island Rail Road customers were inconvenienced this morning," LIRR President Rob Free said Wednesday. "Unfortunately, what we've seen is the result of poor maintenance practices by Amtrak."
Amtrak said crews were doing work on a line outside the East River tunnel overnight, and the repairs were not done by the morning rush.
"The work went over the outage period as we are still completing repairs. We apologize for the inconvenience to Long Island Rail Road passengers," a spokesperson for Amtrak told CBS News New York.
The disruptions come as Amtrak prepares to repair two of the four tubes in the East River Tunnel that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Amtrak says it needs to fully close both tubes for 13 months each, but Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA are calling on Amtrak to rethink the plan and avoid a complete shutdown.
