Photo by Aris on Unsplash
Power Outage Halts Amtrak Trains, Stranding Thousands
May 23, 2024
A power outage halted Amtrak trains on Wednesday evening, causing thousands of passengers to be stranded — and they’re not the only ones affected by the outage.
The New York Times reported that the trouble began around 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 22, after power lines fell in Kearny, New Jersey, causing the power outage that halted travel throughout the entire Northeast Corridor line. NJ Transit trains were also adversely affected by the outage, resulting in thousands of passengers being stranded at New York’s Penn Station.
NJ Transit took to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, May 23, to warn commuters of additional delays. “Customers should expect possible delays and cancellations today due to residual impacts resulting from crew availability and equipment that was out of position as a result of last evening’s service disruption caused by Amtrak’s overhead wire issues,” they wrote.
NJ Transit resumed limited service along the Northeast Corridor after power to one railing was restored, according to the New York Post.
“This incident has affected trains operating as far as Philadelphia, PA. Customers traveling through the affected areas should expect extensive residual delays due to speed restrictions and rail congestion,” Amtrak said in a statement.
It is unclear how these delays will impact Memorial Day travel plans, but according to ABC7, service appeared to be nearly normal early Thursday morning. However, NJ Transit posted an alert to warn travelers of potential cancellations and delays. Amtrak stated that all repairs were completed late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, though the company also posted a warning about continued delays.
An Amtrak spokesperson, Jason Abrams, told The New York Times that the power outage occurred because “a signal wire had come in contact with the catenary‚ the overhead cables that provide electrical power to trains, and caused a ‘blowout.’”
Amtrak isn’t the only train making headlines. Last month, news broke about a new high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas to Southern California. Construction of this Brightline West system is currently underway and expected to be completed within four years.
The 218-mile track is designed to reach top speeds of 200 miles per hour (115 mph on average). The system will make stops in three California communities, the closest of which is Rancho Cucamonga, which is situated approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles.
The project has $3 billion in funding from private investment and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The goal is to have the new rail system operational by 2028, in time for Los Angeles to host the Summer Olympics. With this aggressive schedule, travelers can travel from Southern California to Las Vegas in around two hours, slashing travel time in half.
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