NEW YORK — Amtrak has said to expect “single-tracking delays and speed restrictions” as it resumes service between New York Penn Station and Albany, N.Y., today (Thursday, Nov. 16) following four days of disruptions because of structural issues with a parking garage above its tracks in New York City.
A message on its AmtrakNECAlerts social media feed says the delays are anticipated to continue until Saturday, Nov. 18.
The first northbound train of the day, the Maple Leaf, left Penn Station on time at 7:15 a.m. and was 16 minutes late departing Croton-Harmon, N.Y.
In a Wednesday statement quoted on the NY1 news site, Amtrak said it appreciates “the patience and understanding of our customers who were inconvenienced by the structural issue at the non-Amtrak-owned parking garage. … We have been assured by the NYC Department of Buildings, and other city and state agencies that we are collaborating with, that upon the garage work completion, it will be safe again for train travel.”
Small holes were discovered in ramps at the parking garage last weekend, at least one of which provided a view through to the Amtrak right-of-way below. Further inspection found damaged and deteriorated beams [see “Some Amtrak trains between Penn Station, Albany to resume …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 14, 2023].
The service is resuming although a Nov. 13 notice regarding the suspension between New York and Croton-Harmon remains active on the Amtrak website as of 7:30 a.m. CST today.
The responsibility to inspect and maintain a structure accrues to the structure’s owner. Which isn’t Amtrak, as the article clearly states.
Amtrak and its passengers must be very pleased with this development.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Seems like Amtrak’s bridge and tunnel inspection forces need to look up when inspecting track under these building built over their tracks.
Things like this are NOT clearly visible in a dark tunnel, your comment is uniformed.!!!
Inspection equipment needs a bank of lights that illuminate all portions of a track’s ROW. Not just down and to side but also up. The class 1s certainly have that type of equipment.