STATEMENT REGARDING INCIDENT IN HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT apologizes to all of our rail customers impacted by last night's incident affecting the Hudson River Tunnels.

“Fortunately, no one was injured and we remain in close contact with Amtrak as part of the ongoing investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett.

NJ TRANSIT service resumed in and out of New York at approximately 9 a.m. this morning following the required safety inspections by Amtrak personnel. We anticipate regular weekday service on Monday, September 10, however, please continue to visit njtransit.com for service updates over the weekend.

We encourage all customers impacted by this service disruption to contact our Customer Service department using the Contact Us form on the web by clicking HERE, visiting a Customer Service field office or by calling us at 973-275-5555 between the hours of 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. daily.

While NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak continue the investigation into this incident, this is the information known so far:

At 11:32 p.m. NJ TRANSIT train 3886, heading toward Penn Station New York (PSNY), reported losing power in the South Tube.  The crew reported that there was wire down in the tunnel and a piece of the structure which connects the train to the overhead power line punctured the roof of the 8th car of the train. None of the approximately 1,100 customers on board was injured.  At 12:17 a.m. an LIRR rescue train was dispatched from PSNY with Amtrak Police and FDNY on board.  The rescue train arrived at the disabled train in approximately 10 minutes.  At 12:51 a.m., all customers had transferred to the rescue train.  Members of the FDNY searched the disabled train to ensure all customers had exited.  At 1:14 a.m., the rescue train arrived on PSNY Track 15 where it was met by MTA police. We want to acknowledge the well-coordinated response by NJ TRANSIT and our regional partners at Amtrak, LIRR and the first responders who executed the rescue effort for which we plan and prepare.

At approximately the same time as the initial incident, NJ TRANSIT train 3297, heading west from PSNY toward Bay Head, NJ in the North Tube, reported losing power.  Power was quickly restored in the North Tube and the train continued west.  The crew reported that as they exited the tunnel they lost power again and struck an object that was hanging in the overhead wire.  At that time, the train stopped.  A diesel locomotive was dispatched from Newark to rescue the train with approximately 500 customers on board.  There were no reports of ill or injured passengers on the train.  To allow the locomotive to connect to the train, Amtrak crews had to first remove the damaged wire.  At 1:46 a.m., the locomotive connected to the train and proceeded to Secaucus.  Customers then boarded another train to continue their trip.

NJ TRANSIT takes this incident extremely seriously. The safety of our customers and employees remains our highest priority. Again, we apologize to all customers who were affected and will share more information when it is available.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 944,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines, and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations, and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.