(Bloomberg) — Amtrak railway service across the Northeast Corridor faced delays and cancellations on Monday, causing chaos for passengers traveling ahead of the holidays.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Travelers should expect a “significant delay” in and out of New York Penn Station as the rail network seeks to recover from signal power issues, according to a statement on Amtrak’s website. Some parts of the corridor experienced service suspensions on Sunday, which has caused “crew constraints” and all trains operating between Washington Union Station and Boston South Station may be impacted due to both ongoing and residual issues.
The disruptions are happening at an inopportune time with travelers attempting to get home to family and friends ahead of Christmas and the start of Hanukkah on Wednesday. The Northeast Corridor is the busiest stretch of rail in the country, with more than 750,000 people traveling on the system via 2,200 passenger trains each day.
Gretel Crockett came to New York from Maine to spend a celebratory weekend in the city and see the Radio City Rockettes. She’s now trying to get home. Her train was initially delayed by more than 90 minutes and she’s concerned about making her connection in Boston.
“If it wasn’t Christmas, I wouldn’t be so worried,” she said in an interview. “But I have my kids and family waiting for me. I want to get home by tomorrow for Christmas Eve, for sure.”
Amtrak is canceling select service to minimize delays, including several Acela trains — the higher-speed rail option that connects East Coast cities.
At least eight services have been canceled due to signal issues, while two between Boston and Washington were suspended because of equipment unavailability.
The disruptions come as freezing temperatures hit certain areas throughout the tristate region. Extreme weather can strain the power infrastructure that runs through the Northeast Corridor, the busiest rail segment in the US. The system is vulnerable to swings in the temperature both hot and cold, according to the Amtrak website.
Ryan and Bennie Richards are trying to travel home to Philadelphia from New York but their train on Sunday was delayed by five hours. Instead of waiting, the couple decided to spend the night in a hotel and scheduled a new departure on Monday, which has also since been delayed.