New Jersey Transit and Amtrak passengers faced significant disruptions on Monday morning, with major delays reported at New York's Penn Station. The issues began when Amtrak overhead wires came down, causing a train to derail near Newark Penn Station around 7 am. This incident led to approximately two hours of suspended rail service on the Northeast Corridor Line between Manhattan and Trenton.
The problem persisted throughout the morning rush hour, with commuters facing further delays as trains were forced onto alternative routes due to the damaged overhead equipment. At one point, a second NJ Transit train lost power after another section of the wire came down near Newark Penn Station around 9 am. An estimated 300 passengers were escorted to buses at this time.
Despite efforts by both transit agencies to restore full service, commuters continued to face residual delays until around 11:30 am. Raritan Valley Line trains operated from and to Newark Penn Station, while NJ Transit rail tickets could be cross-honored at PATH stations in Newark, Hoboken, and 33rd Street.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill expressed her frustration with the situation, stating that cold weather conditions had contributed to the delays. She highlighted ongoing efforts to improve regional rail service through the Gateway Tunnel project, which has faced legal challenges from the Trump administration.
NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri acknowledged the impact on passengers and apologized for the inconvenience, assuring commuters that he would do everything possible to resolve the issues. Amtrak also issued a statement, apologizing for the delay and attributing it to an "infrastructure issue with the catenary wires."
The problem persisted throughout the morning rush hour, with commuters facing further delays as trains were forced onto alternative routes due to the damaged overhead equipment. At one point, a second NJ Transit train lost power after another section of the wire came down near Newark Penn Station around 9 am. An estimated 300 passengers were escorted to buses at this time.
Despite efforts by both transit agencies to restore full service, commuters continued to face residual delays until around 11:30 am. Raritan Valley Line trains operated from and to Newark Penn Station, while NJ Transit rail tickets could be cross-honored at PATH stations in Newark, Hoboken, and 33rd Street.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill expressed her frustration with the situation, stating that cold weather conditions had contributed to the delays. She highlighted ongoing efforts to improve regional rail service through the Gateway Tunnel project, which has faced legal challenges from the Trump administration.
NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri acknowledged the impact on passengers and apologized for the inconvenience, assuring commuters that he would do everything possible to resolve the issues. Amtrak also issued a statement, apologizing for the delay and attributing it to an "infrastructure issue with the catenary wires."
. But, like, let's look on the bright side, right? 
It might seem like a disaster at first, but think about it - we're talkin' major disruptions to public transportation = lots of people are makin' healthy choices and carpoolin' or takin' buses instead of trains for a change 
. And who knows, maybe this will push the Gateway Tunnel project forward faster? 
It's like the universe is nudgin' us towards a more efficient, sustainable future, even if it means dealin' with some inconvenience along the way 
. Plus, NJ Transit and Amtrak are workin' hard to fix the issue, so we can count on 'em to get things back on track soon 
. Fingers crossed! 
and had to take a bus home because it was delayed again 
. And can we talk about how cold it is? 
-20 degrees or something?! That's not exactly helping the situation 
. I'm just glad no one got hurt, but seriously, can't they fix the tracks already? 
It's been going on for years and years... like what's taking so long?! 
I'm all for the Gateway Tunnel project and everything, but come on! Get it done already! 
. We all know infrastructure issues are a thing and we need more funding for the Gateway Tunnel project to prevent this kinda stuff from happenin' again. But no, because of politics and bureaucratic red tape... 
ugh, i cant even right now lol... these delays at penn station are so annoying! its like they say, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"... but when life derails a train 
, just try to get back on track, ya know? anywayz, its clear that the cold weather wasnt exactly helpful. i feel bad for all those commuters stuck on trains or walking everywhere... at least they got free bus rides from NJ Transit lol. and yeah, the Gateway Tunnel project needs to hurry up & get done! infrastructure issues like this are super frustrating 
. NJ transit and Amtrak should really do a better job at maintening those overhead wires, it's just too much to handle during rush hour 
. anyone else stuck in the subway today? 
about those train delays on monday mornin! i was sippin on coffee thinkin nothin bad would happen, but then i got a text from my bestie who takes the NJ Transit and it's like she's stuck in traffic...i'm talkin 2 hours stuck 
. u know what's even crazier tho? those overhead wires just came down for NO REASON 
. i'm still on edge tho 'cause this is a major hub and stuff, so fingers crossed they get it sorted out ASAP 
.
? Like, are you even taking responsibility for this mess?!
... like they're tryin' to distract us from somethin' bigger. First, you got your trains derailin', then power outages... it's all just too convenient 
That's just a cover story, if you ask me. I mean, we all know the Gateway Tunnel project has been in the works for ages... and now it's suddenly causin' problems?! 
It's like they're tryin' to delay progress on purpose 
. And don't even get me started on the "infrastructure issue"... that just sounds like corporate speak 
. Something fishy is goin' on here, mark my words...
. Can't they just fix the wires already?! It's like, winter is over and it's supposed to get warmer... doesn't that help with, like, infrastructure issues? 
Still hoping they can get things back on track soon 
️
. And it's not just that, they had another wire fail at 9 am and had to evacuate some trains 
. It's like, what even is going on here 
. I mean, what's the point of having overhead wires if they're just gonna come crashing down on us? 
. In my day, we didn't have all this fancy infrastructure stuff... we just dealt with it 
. Can't wait till they fix these catenary wires 
. And hey, at least they're trying to fix the Gateway Tunnel project... fingers crossed that gets done soon! 
At least they're trying to fix it with the Gateway Tunnel project, fingers crossed that'll be done soon