Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
An electrical fire on the third rail inside one of Amtrak’s East River tunnels caused major disruptions for LIRR and Amtrak service at Penn Station on Thursday, with potential impacts extending into Friday’s morning rush hour, according to ABC7 New York. Crews responded to the fire call on 31st Street between 7th and 8th avenues just before 11:30 a.m.
Smoke was visible among riders on a Long Island Railroad train when the electrical fire erupted on the third rail tracks inside the tunnel, abruptly halting all inbound trains into Penn Station. The fire occurred in a tunnel linking Penn Station to Jamaica that is currently undergoing repairs related to Superstorm Sandy damage, ABC7 reports.
Tracks 15 through 21 at the north end of Penn Station experienced smoke conditions, prompting officials to cut power to those tracks while firefighters worked to secure the blaze. Signs reading “no trains boarding on any tracks” were posted throughout Penn Station for much of the afternoon.
“I noticed there were no trains on the board and now this fire, this is going to be another problem,” Rich Lewis, a rider from Deer Park, told ABC7. Joseph D’Antona, a commuter from Lindenhurst, said he learned about the disruption after arriving at the station: “I just got here, went on the phone and checked the app and it said the fire is going on. I didn’t even know what’s going on here.”
A frustrated MTA spokesperson released a statement emphasizing that the infrastructure involved was not under their control: “Amtrak equipment. Amtrak tunnel. Amtrak tracks. LIRR riders once again are inconvenienced by this Amtrak situation.”
The incident created what officials described as a potentially chaotic and lengthy evening commute, with service disruptions continuing into Thursday night and possible Friday morning delays.
Location & Road Context
The fire occurred in one of the East River tunnels owned by Amtrak that connects Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica, Queens. This critical rail corridor serves thousands of daily Long Island commuters traveling between Nassau and Suffolk counties and Manhattan. The affected tunnel is part of infrastructure still undergoing repairs from Superstorm Sandy damage.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Amtrak crews continued repair work on fire damage near the terminal as of Thursday evening, with the cause of the electrical fire under investigation.
Broader Impact
LIRR service to and from Penn Station remained suspended Thursday evening, with most trains diverted to Grand Central Terminal. The MTA warned of potential Friday morning rush hour delays, reroutes, and cancellations, advising commuters to check train status before traveling.
To accommodate stranded passengers, the subway system cross-honored LIRR tickets at multiple stations: 34th Street-Penn Station, Forest Hills-71st Avenue, Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike, and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer on the E line; Grand Central-42nd Street on the 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines; and Woodside-61st Street on the 7 line.
NJ Transit rail service resumed operating on or close to schedule by Thursday afternoon, though residual delays affected trains already en route. Midtown Direct service remained diverted to Hoboken Terminal. NJ Transit provided cross-honoring of rail tickets and passes on buses and PATH trains at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street in Manhattan.
Amtrak temporarily suspended service into Penn Station but resumed operations around 1:30 p.m., though delays of up to an hour were expected for the remainder of Thursday due to congestion from the earlier suspension.