NJ Transit, Amtrak delays and cancellations due to overhead wire issues at old Portal Bridge
NJ Transit, Amtrak service disruptions expected to continue for remainder of Friday
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Despite the work on the new Portal Bridge project being completed, it was a rough morning commute on Friday for New Jerseyans, and the evening rush will be impacted too.
Due to damaged Amtrak overhead wire issues at the old Portal Bridge, Amtrak and NJ Transit riders can expect delays and limited service for the remainder of Friday.
NJ Transit said rail service is operating in both directions between Newark Penn Station and Penn Station, New York with limited service and is subject to up to 60-minute delays.
Amtrak said delays are expected to continue throughout the remainder of the day for all services traveling between New York (NYP) and Philadelphia (PHL) due to ongoing structural maintenance in the area, but said they expect normal operations by Saturday morning, with possible delays of up to 25 minutes.
NJ Transit tickets and passes are being cross-honored by NJT bus and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street-NY.
Earlier in the day, service was suspended for over an hour before resuming limited service with delays around 6:30 a.m.
Eyewitness News spoke with NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri as trains began resuming service.
He spoke about the optics of officials celebrating the completion of the work on the new Portal Bridge and then delays on service the next morning.
"No one was spiking the football yesterday because the bridge is not supposed to open until Monday morning, let's be crystal clear about that," he said. "The fact that the bridge was open ahead of schedule was a special moment."
He said it was important to note that, "Amtrak discovered delays not on the new bridge, but on the old bridge, there was a bent catenary pole that Amtrak is repairing right now."
Kolluri said the first passenger train ran over the new bridge just before 6 a.m. Friday morning. He said Friday morning's problems were not NJ Transit's fault.
"First of all, it's an Amtrak problem. I appreciate what you are saying. No one is making excuses. Amtrak is fixing the problem because it's their corridor, and NJ Transit happens to run their trains on it," he said.
As for what he had to say to customers dealing with another nightmare commute, "Nothing is more important to me that they have a safe and efficient ride."
The new portal bridge officially opens for service on Monday, but it was being used on Friday to help get the commute back on track.
You can check for updates on their websites: https://www.njtransit.com/
https://www.amtrak.com/home
If you were hoping to drive, the situation on the George Washington Bridge was not much better, with 100-minute delays due to construction.
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