Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A fire in an East River tunnel connecting the Long Island Rail Road between Manhattan and Queens broke out at 11:25 a.m. Thursday morning, causing widespread service disruptions that persisted into the evening rush hour, according to Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams. The blaze wasn’t extinguished until 12:55 p.m., creating chaos at Penn Station and forcing thousands of commuters to find alternative routes home.
The MTA halted Long Island Rail Road service in both directions between Penn Station and Jamaica Station due to the fire. NJ Transit was also affected, with all Midtown Direct service diverted to Hoboken Terminal. Amtrak reported just before 2 p.m. that the fire had been extinguished, but service delays continued throughout the day with several NJ Transit trains either delayed or canceled outright.
The FDNY confirmed there were no injuries from the track fire, and officials are investigating the cause. The disruptions created hellish commutes out of Penn Station, described as the country’s busiest train station, with crowds of outraged riders huddling near platform entrances and many confused by the outages.
West Hempstead resident Pollyanna McFarlane, 64, who uses a cane, expressed her frustration: “The one day I come into the city there’s a fire and there’s a delay. This is why I usually do not take jobs in the city. My jobs in the last couple years have been on Long Island, where I could comfortably get in my car and drive to my job.” McFarlane said she did not want to take the subway as an alternative.
Jamaica Station was hardly any better, Gothamist reports, as crowds scurried to figure out which train to take home while LIRR crews tried to improvise new timetables. Riders boarded a Huntington-bound train after 5 p.m., only to learn it had been canceled and they’d have to deboard.
Location & Road Context
The fire occurred in an East River tunnel that serves as a critical link for LIRR service between Manhattan and Queens. The MTA directed stranded LIRR riders to head to Atlantic Terminal or Grand Central Madison to get home, with the agency cross-honoring LIRR tickets on the subway system.
The timing of the fire was particularly problematic as it comes while Amtrak has shut down one of its East River tunnels for repairs, limiting the LIRR’s ability to redirect trains during emergencies. The MTA blamed the problem on Amtrak, which owns the tracks and tunnels at Penn Station.
Broader Impact
The service disruptions landed just two days before LIRR workers are prepared to go on strike, which would shut down the railroad entirely. The combination of infrastructure issues and potential labor action threatens to create additional transportation challenges for Long Island commuters in the coming days.