An Amtrak train derailed Wednesday afternoon at Penn Station, causing severe delays fresh off a “summer from hell” for commuters heading in and out of New Jersey.
The national railroad carrier said a train’s wheels had come off the tracks as it was leaving Penn Station at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, en route to Washington DC. A spokesperson for the railroad said that customers were all able to evacuate the train as part of it was still at the platform.
Amtrak customers’ tickets were being cross-honored on other trains that could leave Penn Station. Nonetheless, Amtrak advised its customers to expect 20-40 minute delays as crews worked to remove the derailed train from the station.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Transit, which uses the same Hudson River tunnels as Amtrak, advised customers they could be in for delays of up to 60 minutes; NJT train tickets were being cross-honored on the agency’s buses.
The Amtrak spokesperson, Jason Abrams, said the agency hadn’t yet determined the cause of the derailment.
It’s just the latest headache for commuters on Amtrak and NJT, who weathered a hellish summer on the rails.
Service has been repeatedly snagged on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest rail line in the United States, amid issues with Amtrak’s ancient overhead catenary wires powering trains.
