NEW YORK — Operating issues continue for Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor today (Dec. 23), more than 24 hours after disruptions began because of downed overhead power lines near Philadelphia.
An update posted at 4:30 a.m. ET says that there are now signal power issues affecting trains in and out of New York Penn Station, leading to single-track operation. Passengers should expect a significant delay in and out of Penn Station, the company advises. It also says that as a result of “crew constraints” from Sunday’s issues and “ongoing and residual issues along the Northeast Corridor,” all trains between Boston South Station and Washington Union Station may be impacted, and that some trains have been cancelled to minimize delays. As of 8 a.m. ET, the Amtrak NEC Alerts feed on X.com indicates that Boston-Washington Acela trains 2155, 2169, 2173, 2193 have been cancelled, as have Washington-Boston Acela trains 2162 and 2172. Also cancelled are Northeast Regional trains 112 (a 7:45 a.m. Washington-New York train), 114 (10:10 a.m., Washington-New York), 181 (a 5:45 a.m. New York-Washington train), and 131 (12:10 p.m., New York-Washington).
“Unfortunately, there is no estimate for the resumption of standard operating service,” Amtrak says.
As of 8:30 a.m. ET, NJ Transit lists one cancellation of a Northeast Corridor train because of mechanical issues. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Trenton Line, which operates on the Northeast Corridor, currently lists delays of up to 30 minutes “due to earlier Amtrak switch issues.”
The Northeast Corridor issues were first reported by NJ Transit at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday and involved downed power lines near Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station that led to a suspension of all Amtrak service between New York and Philadelphia for most of Sunday morning [see “Some Amtrak, NJ Transit service … restored,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 22, 2024]. One track was restored to limited operation around noon; by Sunday evening, Amtrak was reporting one track was fully operational while two were allowing operations at reduced speed.
Maybe just a tad overstated, Al, but mostly true. I see three reasons: 1. Far more manpower, 2. More standby equipment. 3. This is the most important – The culture. If you were a PRR man, likely the service went back for generations in your family. Most started at the bottom, learned every job, and worked their way up. This was coupled with a military-type system that promoted from within, was harsh at times, but got the job done, to the benefit of the public.
Oh for the good old PRR days, when you could set your watch by the arrival of any of its trains, and particularly on the corridor, regardless of the weather.
Remember the “”Clockers”?