Power Troubles Snarl New York City Train Service

By JOHN KELL
DECEMBER 23, 2009, 12:21 P.M. ET
Rail service was suspended at New York City's Penn Station for nearly three hours Wednesday due to power problems, disrupting commuter and holiday travel for several New Jersey Transit, Long Island Railroad and Amtrak lines.
The outage was first reported at 8:45 a.m. EST and crews were working to resolve the power issue, according to Amtrak. The cause of the power disruption is under investigation. An Amtrak spokesman said trains were moving again as of 11:35 a.m. Additional delays were expected as normal service resumed, Amtrak said in a release.
A NJ Transit spokesman said average ridership into Penn Station on any given day was 81,000. He estimated the outage affected "tens of thousands" of customers.
Trains were unable to travel in and out of New York. Amtrak said those en route to New York at the time of the power outage had power onboard, including heat and lights.
Numerous Acela Express and Northeast regional trains between Boston, New York and Washington were affected by the outage. Amtrak's Empire Service running through New York, Albany and Niagara Falls was also affected.
For NJ Transit, service was temporarily suspended on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Midtown Direct lines, with all Midtown Direct trains being diverted to Hoboken, N.J. The other lines were operating through Newark Penn Station with significant delays.
NJ Transit said the lines were restored as of 12:07 p.m., though delays of up to one hour in both directions were expected.
Some alternative transportation was available via the Port Authority of New York an New Jersey, or PATH, trains. NJ Transit said it provided alternative travel options through the PATH, as well as the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal.---From wsj.com