NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line restored with limited service
NEW YORK -- For a third morning in a row, New Jersey Transit service was suspended due to overhead wire issues.
NJ Transit says its Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines have resumed with limited service in both directions.
CBS New York's Natalie Duddridge spoke with commuters at a station in Iselin, where many people showed up not realizing there was a problem.
It was a stressful morning for one man who was trying to get a train to Newark Liberty International Airport to catch a flight, only to learn from passengers the trains were canceled.
"I have to get to the airport," he said. "I just found out."
NEC & NJCL rail service has resumed with limited service in both directions following earlier Amtrak overhead wire issues. NJ TRANSIT rail tickets/passes are being cross honored by NJ TRANSIT bus, private carriers and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken & 33rd St. New York.
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) July 7, 2023
It was also an annoying start to the day for dozens of commuters and tourists headed to Manhattan.
"We want to see the Freedom Tower. We're from Wisconsin," said Eric Austin. "I'm here trying to have a good time and it's like an animal in that little wheel thing and I'm going nowhere."
"It's a little frustrating. And they don't really give you any information on how to get refunds on your tickets or anything like that. So I've actually been standing here for the last 20 minutes," added Jared Austin.
The issue, according to Amtrak, was overhead power problems in Rahway, causing delays and speed restrictions from Philadelphia to New York, temporarily canceling all Keystone trains and impacting NJ Transit service.
"Now we have to figure it out, maybe go to Woodbridge," commuter Angela Austin said.
Around 2 p.m., stranded passengers had to climb off a stalled NJ Transit train onto the tracks near Maplewood on the Morris and Essex line because of an issue with overhead wires. Three dozen commuters were loaded onto buses as crews scrambled to fix the problem.
Chopper 2 was over the rail yard in Rahway as a yellow transit truck with crew members tried to restore power. Too little too late for Anthony Muccigrossi.
"Extremely frustrating, because it happens all the time," he said. "I'm going to have to take an Uber like yesterday... I split it with somebody, luckily. We took it to Secaucus and then jumped on the train there."
"It's one thing one minute, and then the next, it's another," commuter Mary Cruz said.
There were also service issues Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and now Friday, delaying people getting to work.
Commuter Odalis Kennedy said she normally gets to work around 9:30 a.m.
"Yesterday, I got there close to 11," she said. "This is worse than ever, but New Jersey Transit gets you there late just about every time."
"It's too much, because yesterday it was canceled too," a woman added.
"I don't know if it's power players, or if the wires are sagging from heat expansion. I don't know which it is. The thing is it's about 90 degrees. It's been hotter and the thing doesn't fall apart, so why now? I don't know," said Joe Versaggi, president of the New Jersey Association of Rail Passengers.
"It makes you wonder, where does the money go? I paid $310 a month for a pass. The train's canceled, delayed, stopped. We do the crawl in the morning," Muccigrossi said.
NJ Transit says rail tickets and passes are being cross-honored by NJ Transit bus, private carriers and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and Penn Station New York.
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