As New Jersey Transit riders were already bracing for daily delays for their commutes in and out of New York, Amtrak announced Wednesday that it’s now considering an overhaul of its infrastructure.
Due to ongoing Amtrak track maintenance work and inspections, NJ Transit customers traveling to and from New York Penn Station are currently experiencing estimated delays of 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minute delays on the weekend.
More extensive delays and route changes could be ahead if Amtrak decides to opt for a complete overhaul.
On Tuesday alone, overhead wires caused power issues and a disabled Amtrak train added to the mounting delay times.
The transit delays on Tuesday were among recent headaches on area rails.
On March 24, an Amtrak train derailed and bumped into a New Jersey Transit train. On April 3, another Amtrak derailment led to days of delays for NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road riders.
On April 14, a New Jersey train with 1,200 passengers got stuck in a tunnel for nearly three hours, and last Friday, an Amtrak switch problem near Newark caused more delays.
NJ Transit rider Mario Robinson said the last month has been maddening.
“I can't do it anymore. Every day it's a new one. They're working on the tracks. It's just the randomness, with work I can't afford to do it,” he said.
Riders are asked to check
NJTransit.com for service information, to listen carefully to all station announcements for any updates and to watch station departure monitors for any last minute track changes.