NEW YORK — Amtrak service into Penn Station in New York is expected to resume at 5 a.m. Saturday following a fire in one of the East River tunnels that disrupted rail operations on Friday. Amtrak officials said the tunnel has been cleared for use, though service may experience delays.
Crews responded to the fire just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday on 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues. The fire occurred in a section of the tunnel owned by Amtrak linking Penn Station to Jamaica that is undergoing repairs following Superstorm Sandy. At least one train was filled with smoke, and power to multiple tracks had to be shut down. No one was injured, according to the FDNY, which is still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
LIRR President Rob Free described the impact on train operations. "There was a major fire in Penn Station, just east of the station itself in the tunnels, which burned cables that provided power to signals and switches. Amtrak was unable to throw the switches and display signals. It's their tunnel, they are responsible for maintaining it, which prevented train service from operating," Free said.
Long Island Rail Road service remained disrupted on Friday, with some trains diverted from Penn Station to Grand Central Terminal. On Friday evening, there was limited eastbound service at Penn Station and no westbound service to Penn Station.
"People were able to now take a short subway ride over to Grand Central Madison and continue their journey east to get home. It's a great advantage to have Grand Central Madison, customers were able to move," Free said.
The MTA advised passengers to check train status for delays, reroutes, and cancellations. The subway is cross-honoring Long Island Rail Road tickets at 34 St-Penn Station, Forest Hills-71 Av, Kew Gardens-Union Tpke, and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations on the E line; at Grand Central-42 St on the 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines; and at Woodside-61 St on the 7 line.
NJ Transit rail service is subject to delays of up to 30 minutes into and out of Penn Station in New York due to ongoing Amtrak repairs following the fire. NJ Transit Midtown Direct service is being diverted into Hoboken Terminal. NJ Transit rail tickets and passes are being cross-honored by NJ Transit, private carrier buses, and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street in New York.