Train service along the Northeast Corridor south of New York stopped Wednesday evening due to falling overhead power cables in Kearny, New Jersey, stranding commuters and travelers on trains and at stations as far south as Washington.
The power outage disrupted service between New York and Newark from 5:05 p.m. and help spread across the corridor that constitutes the main line between New York and Washington. Some trains bound for Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, the busiest U.S. rail hub, terminated in Philadelphia, where passengers had to find alternative transportation, said Jason Abrams, a spokesman. of Amtrak.
Around 10:05 p.m., hundreds of people rushed to the entrance to Track 11 at Penn Station, where a Trenton-bound train was boarding nearly four and a half hours late.
Around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Abrams said trains were running south of Penn Station again. Earlier, he said it was unclear when northbound service would resume and whether service would be fully restored before Thursday morning’s peak.
Sheydline Moise, 23, shuffled through the crowd. She had left work to take a train home at 6:27 p.m. to Woodbridge, New Jersey, and had been waiting at the station ever since. At one point, she boarded a train for about 20 minutes, only for authorities to tell passengers to get off, she said.
“I almost started crying,” Ms. Moise said, adding that Uber was quoting a fare of nearly $200. “It was a very long night,” she said, sounding exasperated. “I’m definitely canceling tomorrow.”
Mr. Abrams said he did not know what caused the cables to fall or whether the problem was related to construction in Kearny of a replacement for the 114-year-old Portal Bridge, on which Amtrak and New Jersey Transit depend. The new bridge is the first phase of the Gateway Project to add a tunnel under the Hudson River and increase rail capacity between New York and New Jersey.
Some New Jersey Transit commuter trains continued to operate from Hoboken, New Jersey. New Jersey Transit passengers could have their tickets and passes honored on PATH trains between Manhattan and New Jersey, according to a New Jersey Transit spokesperson. To avoid Penn Station, travelers can also take ferries to Hoboken, where six New Jersey Transit lines offer service.
Alexandra E. Petri contributed reporting from New York.
