Amtrak service restored after transformer explosion, fire along tracks in the Bronx
NEW YORK — Service is finally restored after a transformer explosion and fire along Amtrak tracks in the Bronx caused service suspensions throughout the region Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fire officials said they were called to a building on Bronxdale Avenue near East Tremont Avenue in Parkchester around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a fire. Officials said the 60,000-square-foot building is used to store auto parts, hydraulic equipment, pallets and vehicles.
According to FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods, crews found very heavy fire condition upon arrival and the fire grew to three alarms.
About a quarter mile away, there was another fire after an Amtrak transformer exploded. According to fire officials, the flames spread to brush, then a nearby Con Edison facility. Three cars in that parking lot also caught fire, Con Ed officials said.
"There was a big explosion. You could literally see the fire in the sky, like huge. It was just like pop, and then like everything looked like it burst into flames," witness De'lyn Williams-Negron said.
It took crews three hours to extinguish the flames.
"So it took us quite a while to extinguish that fire. We had to have all train traffic stopped. We had to have the overhead catenary wires, power removed from them. We needed power also removed from the transformer," Woods said.
Fire officials are investigating the causes of both fires and whether or not they're related.
No injuries were reported.
Amtrak service suspended between New York Penn Station, New Haven
Because of the fire, Amtrak had to shut down power at the substation.
As a result, all service between New York Penn Station and New Haven was suspended. It was finally restored around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"We stopped on the tracks for almost two hours," one commuter said.
"We stopped just outside the city, and all the power went out, and we sat on the train for probably about five hours. And then a diesel rescued us and pulled us in to Penn Station," another commuter said.
"I was supposed to be in Philadelphia at 8 o'clock last night. I'll probably get there around 5 o'clock today," commuter Sade Nickels said. "I was stopped in New Haven. I was told to get off the train by an Amtrak conductor. They told me that I could get a refund for my ticket, and then every time I've been calling an Amtrak person, they've just been hanging up on me. It's been a nightmare getting back."
While trains were down, Amtrak told stranded passengers to get themselves from Penn Station to Grand Central, which also offered service to New Haven on Metro-North.
Though trains are moving again, Amtrak officials are still keeping a close watch on conditions as brush fires continue popping up all over the Tri-State Area due to the extremely dry weather.
Amtrak said in a statement they apologize for the inconvenience, and they are working with customers who incurred extra costs due to changed reservations.
