Fire in East River Tunnel Diverts LIRR Service, Suspends NJ Transit

Fire in East River Tunnel Diverts LIRR Service, Suspends NJ Transit May 14, 2026. [GOOGLE_NEWS]

Updated May 15, 2026
MINOR INCIDENT
Reported
Updated
Source
News Sources

Map showing incident location at 40.7800, -73.3000 Incident location, Long Island

What Happened

A two-alarm electrical fire in the East River Tunnel between Manhattan and Queens disrupted Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit service Thursday, forcing LIRR trains to divert from Penn Station to Grand Central Terminal while suspending NJ Transit service into Manhattan entirely. The fire began around 11 a.m. and was extinguished by 1 p.m., according to sources who spoke with the New York Daily News.

The electrical fire started a few hundred feet into tube No. 4 of the four-tube East River Tunnel, specifically at a set of switch tracks that allow trains to access both tube No. 3 and tube No. 4, sources told the Daily News. The blaze damaged a key junction connecting the tunnel to Penn Station and sent smoke into tracks 18, 19, 20 and 21 at the north end of the station.

The Fire Department of New York deployed 26 units with 84 fire and EMS personnel to respond to the incident, according to an FDNY spokesperson. No injuries were reported during the emergency response or evacuation procedures.

As of Thursday afternoon, neither tube No. 3 nor tube No. 4 were operational following the fire. With Amtrak currently rebuilding tube No. 2, only one track in tube No. 1 remained in service. MTA sources told the Daily News it was unlikely normal service would be restored in time for the evening rush hour.

Long Island Rail Road service in Manhattan continued operating exclusively through Grand Central Terminal Thursday afternoon. NJ Transit, which uses the East River Tunnel to store trains from the morning rush hour in Queens’ Sunnyside Yard, diverted all service to Hoboken Terminal on the other side of the Hudson River.

Amtrak passenger service through Penn Station had resumed by early Thursday afternoon, though with significant delays, the Daily News reported.

Location & Road Context

The East River Tunnel system connects Manhattan and Queens through four tubes that carry Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit trains. The tunnel serves as a critical transportation link for commuters traveling between Long Island, New Jersey, and Manhattan, with Penn Station serving as the primary hub for these services.

The affected switch tracks in tube No. 4 are essential infrastructure that allows trains to move between different tunnel tubes, providing operational flexibility during normal service and emergencies. With Amtrak’s ongoing reconstruction of tube No. 2, the fire significantly reduced the tunnel system’s capacity.

Broader Impact

The fire highlighted the vulnerability of the aging East River Tunnel infrastructure, particularly as Amtrak continues major rehabilitation work on tube No. 2. With only one fully operational tube remaining after the incident, the transportation disruption affected thousands of Long Island and New Jersey commuters during both the midday period and evening rush hour, forcing many to seek alternative routes through Grand Central Terminal or Hoboken.

Topics

Long Island accident todayLong Island traffic todayLong IslandNY

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I'm in a car accident on Long Island?

Call 911 immediately if anyone is injured or if the vehicles can't be moved safely off the roadway. Stay at the scene — leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is a crime under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §600. Exchange license, registration, and insurance information with every other driver involved. Take photographs of every vehicle, the position of the vehicles before they're moved, all license plates, the road surface, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. Get the names and phone numbers of every witness — police often won't capture bystander witnesses on their own. Seek medical attention within 24 hours even if you feel fine; soft-tissue injuries and concussions can take a day or two to present, and a delayed medical visit weakens an injury claim. In Nassau County, NCPD responds outside of incorporated villages. In Suffolk County, SCPD covers the five western towns; East End towns have their own forces. New York State Police Troop L responds to accidents on state highways across both counties.

How long do I have to file a no-fault claim in New York?

Thirty days. New York Insurance Law §5102 requires you to file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP/no-fault) application with the insurer of the vehicle you were in (or, if you were a pedestrian or cyclist, with the insurer of the striking vehicle) within 30 days of the accident. Missing the 30-day deadline can void your no-fault benefits — that's up to $50,000 in medical bills and 80% of lost wages (capped at $2,000/month) per injured person. The form is the NF-2 application; your insurance carrier provides it on request. New York no-fault is a true PIP system: it pays regardless of who caused the crash.

How long do I have to sue after a Long Island car accident?

Three years from the date of the accident for personal injury claims under CPLR §214(5). Wrongful death claims have a two-year deadline under EPTL §5-4.1. If a government entity is involved (a county vehicle, a road defect on a state highway, a defective traffic signal, a county bus), you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law §50-e — that's a non-negotiable jurisdictional deadline, and missing it usually bars the claim entirely. Property-damage-only claims have the same three-year clock. The clock starts on the day of the accident, not the day you discover the full extent of an injury.

How do I get a copy of the police accident report?

If local police responded to the scene, the report is filed under an MV-104A form. In New York State, you can request a copy through the DMV at https://dmv.ny.gov/vehicle-safety/get-copy-accident-report (roughly $7 online, $10 by mail) once the responding agency has uploaded it to the state system, which usually takes 5-10 business days. NCPD and SCPD also have their own direct-request processes through the precinct that responded. If you weren't injured but the property damage exceeded $1,000, New York VTL §605 requires you (the driver) to file your own MV-104 report with the DMV within 10 days regardless of whether police responded.

Questions about a specific incident? See our Know Your Rights guides for in-depth answers, or the contact page to get in touch.

Disclaimer: Incident information on this page is compiled from public sources including police reports, traffic agencies, and news outlets. It is provided for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current status of this incident. Do not rely on this information for legal, insurance, or emergency decisions. For emergencies, call 911.