Still suspended: Amtrak trains into New York City

[mahatmakanejeeves]

NEWS

Still suspended: Amtrak trains into New York City

Metro-North will provide service between Croton-Harmon station and Penn Station

By Mike Goodwin
Updated Nov 13, 2023 9:52 a.m.



Amtrak had no service Monday morning from the Rensselaer station to New York City's Penn Station because of worries about a building above the tracks in Manhattan.
Times Union file photo

RENSSELAER — Amtrak service to Penn Station remained suspended Monday morning while crews dealt with structural issues involving a building above the tracks in New York City. ... Amtrak passengers can disembark at Croton-Harmon and take Metro-North trains into New York.

At 6:03 a.m., Amtrak reported track closures on the Empire Service Line will end at the Croton-Harmon station in Westchester. There was no immediate word on when full service to New York would be restored.

Amtrak said the temporary suspension arose due to “safety concerns stemming from structure issues of a non-Amtrak, privately owned building above the Empire Line Tracks in New York City.” Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said the building in question is a parking garage on West 51st Street in Manhattan. The service disruptions began on Sunday.

On Sunday, Amtrak passengers’ tickets were being honored on Metro-North trains between Croton-Harmon and New York.

[DFW]

1. Welcome to the club

Repair disruptions have been the norm almost everywhere here in Central Europe this year. Germany has been the worst, but France, Belgium and NL have had their share. I take trains several times a week, and they almost never depart or arrive on time any more. The Eurostar (Thalys) train that I have to take down to Paris tomorrow usually takes just under 4 hours to get from Düsseldorf to Paris. Tomorrow, I’ll have to take an extra hour to get from Düsseldorf down to Köln, and then they said to expect a 5 hour trip from Köln to Paris. So, instead of getting up at 4:30 to be there at 10:00, now I still have to get up at 4:30 and hope to be there at shortly after noon. The airlines have taken note and doubled their fares for the route. Air France doesn’t care since they fill their planes anyway with people connecting to long haul flights out of Paris.

[brooklynite]

2. Not a "repair" disruption"

This is a threatened collapse by a building above the tracks.

Hole opens in NYC garage above Amtrak tracks, leading to service shutdown

A gaping hole has opened up inside a Manhattan parking garage that sits directly above an underground Amtrak line, leading to the suspension of service between New York City and Albany.

The owner of a car parked at the privately owned Hudson View Garage on West 51st Street between 10th and 11th avenues shared a photo showing the wide chasm in the concrete floor, offering an unsettling peek at the tracks below, reported the station ABC 7 NY.

To make matters even worse, the parking garage is located on the first floor of a high-rise apartment building.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/13/metro/gaping-hole-opens-in-nyc-garage-above-amtrak-tracks/

[brooklynite]

3. Some people have asked why Amtrak can't move their trains to Grand Central...

The answer is there aren't a lot of available slots for additional trains, there's no easy access to train storage and cleaning facilities (Sunnyside Yards is in Queens), and there are no available staffing facilities.