East River Tunnel Fire Halts Penn Station Trains

FDNY crews responded just before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, to a fire on the tracks in one of the East River tunnels leading into Penn Station, snarling rail traffic into and out of Manhattan. Long Island Rail Road service to and from Penn Station was suspended for hours, Amtrak crews were sent to repair damage near the terminal, and NJ Transit warned of residual delays and diversions. The disruption stretched into the evening commute and transit agencies warned it could affect Friday morning service as well. The East River Tunnel is a critical approach to Penn Station used by Amtrak, LIRR and NJ Transit. ### Which rail lines were hit first? Long Island Rail Road service was hit hardest on Thursday afternoon, with the MTA saying service to and from Penn Station remained suspended while Amtrak crews continued repair work after a fire near the terminal. Most LIRR trains on Thursday night were diverted to and from Grand Central, and the MTA said there could be Friday morning delays, reroutes and cancellations. (abc7ny.com) NJ Transit said rail service into and out of Penn Station New York was subject to delays of up to 30 minutes because of earlier fire department activity east of the station. The agency also said Midtown Direct service continued to be diverted into Hoboken Terminal, with tickets and passes cross-honored on buses and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street in Manhattan. ABC7 reported that all inbound trains into Penn Station were abruptly stopped after smoke was seen by riders on a Long Island Rail Road train following what it described as an electrical fire on a third rail in one of the tunnels. (mta.info) The station’s north-end tracks, including tracks 15 through 21, were affected by smoke conditions, according to the report. (njtransit.com) ### Where did the fire break out? The fire broke out in one of the East River tunnels that connects Penn Station with Queens and Long Island, according to local reports and Amtrak project information. ABC7 said crews responded to a fire on the tracks on 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and that the affected tunnel links Penn Station to Jamaica. (abc7ny.com) Amtrak says the East River Tunnel consists of four tubes connecting New York City to destinations east, and that the route is used by Amtrak, LIRR and NJ Transit trains. The company says the tubes opened in 1910 and two of them are being rehabilitated after damage from Superstorm Sandy. ### Why did one tunnel fire cause broader disruption? (abc7ny.com) Amtrak says the East River Tunnel is part of the Northeast Corridor and carries shared traffic for intercity and commuter railroads. That means a problem in one tunnel can quickly affect service across multiple operators using the same Penn Station approaches. The MTA’s service advisories on Thursday tied the suspension directly to Amtrak repair work after the fire near the terminal. (amtrak.com) NJ Transit’s alerts likewise pointed to fire department activity east of Penn Station as the cause of delays and diversions. ### What were riders told to do instead? The MTA told LIRR customers to use Grand Central or Atlantic Terminal instead of Penn Station while repairs continued. (amtrak.com) New York City Transit said the subway was cross-honoring LIRR tickets, and ABC7 listed cross-honoring at 34 St-Penn Station, Forest Hills-71 Av, Kew Gardens-Union Tpke, Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer, Grand Central-42 St and Woodside-61 St. (mta.info) NJ Transit told riders to use alternate service information posted by the agency and said rail tickets and passes would be accepted on other NJ Transit services and on PATH at key transfer points. ### What happens next for Friday commuters? The MTA said at 8:21 p.m. on May 14 that there could be morning service changes and told riders to check train status before traveling. ABC7 reported the disruption could linger into the Friday morning rush. (mta.info) Amtrak’s public advisories page told passengers to check train status for disruptions, while NJ Transit continued to post alerts tied to the Penn Station incident. (njtransit.com) For Friday travelers, the next concrete update was expected from the service-alert pages of LIRR, Amtrak and NJ Transit before the morning commute. (amtrak.com) (mta.info)