Amtrak train cars detach as passengers head to New York City ahead for Thanksgiving
NEW YORK — It was a frustrating and at times alarming Thanksgiving Eve for many train travelers in the tri-state area who were trying to get home for the holiday, CBS New York reports.
Amtrak Train 68, called the Adirondack, was traveling from Montreal to New York's Penn Station when two of its cars separated near Albany shortly before 7:30 p.m. local time.
CBS New York said none of the 287 passengers or crew were injured, and the rail company said a recovery engine was dispatched to transfer affected passengers from the disabled train.
Update: Due to the mechanical issue on Train 68 in Albany (ALB). A recovery engine has been dispatched to transfer passengers from the disabled Train. We will update as more information is provided.
— Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNECAlerts) November 22, 2018
Chuck Reeves, a software engineer from Troy, New York, told The Associated Press was aboard the first car behind the locomotive and said when the train pulled away, he and other passengers heard a pop and a hiss, smelled electrical burning and felt a rush of cold air.
The AP also said some crying children were comforted by their parents, but for the most part nobody panicked. A state trooper soon boarded to make sure everyone was OK, according to AP.
Earlier in the day, NJ Transit service along the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines was briefly suspended on one of the busiest travel days of the year due to overhead wire problems in New Jersey.
Crowds were packed to the brim at Penn Station New York after NJ Transit said plastic wrap became tangled in Amtrak-owned wires near the North Elizabeth station.
You should just notify people when the trains are on time.
— Ahmed Metwally (@_AhmedMetwally) November 21, 2018
Service resumed after less than an hour, but eventually resumed with residual delays of up to 30-minutes.
NJ Transit and private bus carriers were cross-honoring rail tickets and passes, as were Path stations in Hoboken, Newark Penn Station and Herald Square.
It wasn't immediately known when the passengers from the disabled Amtrak train would arrive in New York City.