Amtrak service remains suspended between New York City and Croton-Harmon due to unstable structure above tracks in Manhattan
NEW YORK -- Amtrak service remains suspended between New York City and Croton-Harmon again Tuesday.
Authorities said the problem, which started on Sunday, is all because of an unstable parking garage on West 51st Street in Hell's Kitchen.
It is a lose-lose situation for drivers who cannot get to their cars and train commuters who are now stranded.
READ MORE: Amtrak service temporarily suspended between New York City and Albany
On Monday night, Amtrak crews and contractors ventured into the shuttered parking garage, where nearly 100 cars are stuck inside.
"You read that notice from the buildings commissioner and, God, it's gonna be murder," driver Adam Larson said.
Larson went to pick up his car from the Icon lot off 10th Avenue late Friday, but was met with a vacate order from the DOB. No cars allowed in or out.
"We've been parking in there for years and now, all of a sudden, in one day it's now forbidden. It's completely off limits," Larson said.
Watch Ali Bauman's report
The garage sits directly above the Amtrak tunnel, and CBS New York obtained pictures of the structural damage showing just how bad it is.
Through a hole in the parking garage, one can see train tracks below.
The Department of Buildings said an engineer contracted by the property owner called 911 on Friday. The DOB and Amtrak engineers then found two holes -- one on the entrance ramp and another on a ramp to the lower level.
"I rather be safe than sorry. If we had been on that train and it collapsed, I wouldn't want to lose her," train passenger Thomas Ellis said.
Service Temporarily Suspended between New York and Croton-Harmon. pic.twitter.com/kkoD2fvDw9
— Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNECAlerts) November 13, 2023
Allegra Torres and her family, who are from North Carolina, were visiting a relative. After postponing their return one day, they decided to rent a car and just drive home.
Their Prius is still inside the garage.
"We can't just stay here indefinitely while people keep having meetings. We all have work," Torres said. "We were told by various people at the site there that Icon would be covering the cost of a rental car and they would reimburse us for that, but there's no communication."
Those who park daily at the garage are worried. They remember the deadly collapse of parking structure in Lower Manhattan earlier this year.
"I've been parking here for six years. It's just crazy to me that something like that would happen out of nowhere and hasn't been building up over time," Ricky Syal said.
Watch Lisa Rozner's report
One New Jersey man said he and several co-workers use it daily, adding without their vehicles, they had a hard time getting to work Monday.
"Speaking to boss and seeing how he could accommodate us, hopefully do something about it," said Christopher Mato of Bergenfield.
Initially, the DOB determined trains could run normally as long as overhead protection was installed, but early Sunday morning Amtrak workers performing the installation found additional structural defects, including cracked and deteriorated steel beams.
The DOB said the structural defects do not affect any of the neighborhood buildings.
"You would have suspected because of where it's located they would be really careful about making sure everything is up to code, nothing is giving way," Torres said.
She said she and her family have not had any luck reaching anyone at Icon about their situation.
Watch Christina Fan's report
Before last year, there was no inspection program for parking structures in New York City. Now they have to be inspected every six years.
There are more than 4,000 parking structures across the five boroughs. Just over 1,000 of those have to submit their first structural engineering reports to the city by the end of this year. But so far, only about 100 have done so.
The DOB is still waiting on the rest, including from the 51st Street garage.
"I would just like to have my car," Larson said.
The DOB said it received repair plans from the garage's engineer on Monday afternoon, so the city is now reviewing those plans and repair work could start as early as Tuesday.
There' still no timeline on how long that will take. CBS New York reached out to Icon Parking several times and have yet to hear back.