Amtrak Service Between Philadelphia and New York Delayed Due To Overhead Power Issue

Amtrak Acela on the NEC

David C. Lester

WASHINGTON – Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor was delayed this morning due to an issue with overhead power.

While the specific issue with the overhead power was not reported, Amtrak first reported the power issue at 6:10 a.m. with the following advisory: “As of 6:10 am ET, All services operating through Metropark (MET) will experience a delay due to overhead power issues in the area. Updates to follow as more information becomes available. At 10:00 a.m., Amtrak updated its website with the following notice: As of 9:50 am ET, Overhead power has been restored. Services traveling north of Philadelphia (PHL) have resumed. Residual delays will occur due to heavy rail congestion and speed restrictions. Updates to follow as more information becomes available.

The four-hour delay in operations between Philadelphia and New York resulted in some train cancelations and a spate of late arrivals that will likely take most of the day to clear up. Passengers with tickets for canceled trains were offered alternate transportation.

In addition to Amtrak, trains operated on the NEC by NJ Transit were also impacted. The agency reported on it’s website that “Northeast Corridor rail service has resumed in both directions between Trenton and Metropark due to Amtrak overhead wire issues with train #3836, 10:15 AM Trenton departure and train #3835, 10:33 AM, Penn Station New York departure. NJ TRANSIT rail tickets and passes are being cross honored by NJ TRANSIT bus, private carriers and PATH at Newark Penn Station and Penn Station New York.“

RT&S will update this story if we learn more about the extent of cancelations and delays, as well as any news on the cause of the power problem.