Hurricane Sandy and Amtrak.

[TimePeace]

I heard on the radio (NPR affiliate) that Downeaster made a few runs today, but not all - there were some problems.

All runs are expected to be run tomorrow.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I just heard on WNBC hitchhiking is being encouraged. I thought I heard Chuck Scarborough also say cars with fewer than 3 pax are not being allowed to cross bridges into the City, but I might have heard that wrong.

 

[TimePeace]

I thought I heard Chuck Scarborough also say cars with fewer than 3 pax are not being allowed to cross bridges into the City, but I might have heard that wrong.

True

 

[CHamilton]

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority distributed links to a (.pdf) map of the partial service planned to begin at 6 a.m. Thursday via its @MTAInsider Twitter feed.

Here's a Scribd link. Click the plus sign at top to enlarge.

 

[jis]

LIRR has restored service from Jamaica to Penn Station

 

[Railroad Bill]

Have some friends who are scheduled on the Capitol Ltd on Sunday from CLE to CHI. Looks like the #29 is still not running tomorrow (Thursday).

They are a bit concerned about this but I am hoping they will have 29 back in service by Sunday. :unsure:

There are still seats on the Lake Shore for Sunday and I suppose they could try to transfer over to 449 if necessary.

They will be taking their first trip on Amtrak via SW Chief to LA, then Coast Starlight to Emeryville and they return on the CZ.

We spent so much time helping them plan for this. Hope things get straightened out before long.

(Yes, I realize this is a minor affair compared to the tragedy in the Northeast, but I am trying to recruit more passengers for Amtrak :giggle:

 

[PRR 60]

LIRR has restored service from Jamaica to Penn Station

The restored LIRR service is from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal/Brooklyn, with shuttle buses from there to Manhattan.

 

[AlanB]

LIRR has restored service from Jamaica to Penn Station

The restored LIRR service is from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal/Brooklyn, with shuttle buses from there to Manhattan.

Actually the buses aren't scheduled until tomorrow for Brooklyn to Manhattan. Today it was just a shuttle service by train.

That said, the LIRR is indeed reporting that they're restored actual train service to Manhattan via the Main Line to Penn.

LIRR is currently operating hourly train service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal/Brooklyn and between Jamaica and Penn Stations. Trains Depart Jamaica at 10 minutes past the hour. Trains Depart Penn at 52 minutes past the hour and Atlantic Terminal at 50 minutes past the hour.
Temporary schedule change for LIRR trains to Brooklyn. Prior to midnight tonight, LIRR trains to Brooklyn will depart Jamaica Station at :10 minutes past the hour. After midnight, trains to Brooklyn will depart at :45 minutes past the hour.

 

[afigg]

Have some friends who are scheduled on the Capitol Ltd on Sunday from CLE to CHI. Looks like the #29 is still not running tomorrow (Thursday).

They are a bit concerned about this but I am hoping they will have 29 back in service by Sunday. :unsure:

Check the Amtrak Service Alert bulletin posted late this afternoon. The #30 CL will operate CHI-WAS starting on Thursday. #29 is not running on Thursday, but I would expect it will depart from WAS on Friday, once #30 gets the equipment to WAS.

 

[AlanB]

Have some friends who are scheduled on the Capitol Ltd on Sunday from CLE to CHI. Looks like the #29 is still not running tomorrow (Thursday).

They are a bit concerned about this but I am hoping they will have 29 back in service by Sunday. :unsure:

There are still seats on the Lake Shore for Sunday and I suppose they could try to transfer over to 449 if necessary.

They will be taking their first trip on Amtrak via SW Chief to LA, then Coast Starlight to Emeryville and they return on the CZ.

We spent so much time helping them plan for this. Hope things get straightened out before long.

(Yes, I realize this is a minor affair compared to the tragedy in the Northeast, but I am trying to recruit more passengers for Amtrak :giggle:

Bill,

I wouldn't panic yet. MARC has restored train service to the line that they share with the Capitol, so it would not surprise me if the Cap starts running this weekend. In fact, I'm not exactly sure why Amtrak isn't running the train at this point.

 

[jis]

Bill, no, LIRR has actually started running to Penn Station starting around 7pm I believe. At least that is what their tweet said.

(null)

 

[AlanB]

More details about the LIRR service in the morning:

Ronkonkoma Branch Service:
Limited hourly service on the Ronkonkoma Branch starts Thursday, 11/1, with the 5:37AM train from Ronkonkoma to Penn being the first w/b train and the 7:09AM train from Penn to Ronkonkoma being the first e/b train. These trains are scheduled to stop at Ronkonkoma, Central Islip, Brentwood, Deer Park, Wyandanch, Farmingdale, Bethpage, Hicksville and Jamaica. Due to the expected high volume of customers traveling, customers are advised to delay their departure times throughout the day to ease overcrowding.

LIRR is currently operating hourly train service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal/Brooklyn and between Jamaica and Penn Stations. Trains Depart Jamaica at 10 minutes past the hour. Trains Depart Penn at 52 minutes past the hour and Atlantic Terminal at 50 minutes past the hour.

Port Washington Branch Service:
Limited hourly service between Great Neck and Penn starts Thursday, November 1, with the 5:45AM train from Great Neck to Penn being the first w/b train and the 5:14AM train from Penn to Great Neck being the first e/b train. Service east of Great Neck remains suspended. Due to the expected high volume of customers traveling, customers are advised to delay their departure times throughout the day to ease overcrowding.

LIRR is currently operating hourly train service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal/Brooklyn and between Jamaica and Penn Stations. Trains Depart Jamaica at 10 minutes past the hour. Trains Depart Penn at 52 minutes past the hour and Atlantic Terminal at 50 minutes past the hour.

 

[PRR 60]

Bill, no, LIRR has actually started running to Penn Station starting around 7pm I believe. At least that is what their tweet said.

(null)

You're correct. I missed the LIRR update.

 

[CHamilton]

Cuomo Waives M.T.A. Fares for Thursday and Friday

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a transportation emergency Wednesday night and said all fares on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s commuter trains, subways and buses would be waived on Thursday and Friday.

...Joseph Lhota, the chairman of the M.T.A., said that roughly half of the commuters who take Metro-North trains would see regular service starting Thursday morning. The Harlem and the New Haven lines will both be running normal schedules to Grand Central Station, he said.

 

[CHamilton]

Here's a full list of subway, commuter rail, bridge and bus availability and alternative options via The Associated Press:

...

NJ TRANSIT

Rail services remains suspended on all lines. There is no estimated time for the resumption of service

Most bus service was restored by Thursday morning, but passengers will have to pay fares and should expect delays

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and Newark Light Rail service remains suspended until further notice

River Line Light Rail service resumed at 3 p.m. Wednesday between Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden and Trenton Transit Center, operating every 30 minutes. Service remains suspended between Walter Rand Transportation Center and the Entertainment Center

Access Link Paratransit Service remains suspended. There is no estimated time for restoration

LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD:

City Terminal – (Jamaica - Penn Station): LIMITED: Starting 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, hourly; off-peak trains stop at Kew Gardens and Woodside.

Ronkonkoma Branch: LIMITED: Main Line to Penn Station, hourly

Port Washington Branch: LIMITED: Great Neck to Penn Station, hourly

Babylon Branch: Suspended

Port Jefferson Branch: Suspended

Montauk Branch: Suspended

Hempstead Branch: Suspended

Long Beach: Suspended

Far Rockaway: Suspended

Oyster Bay Branch: Suspended

West Hempstead: Suspended

METRO-NORTH:

Hudson Line: Suspended

Upper Harlem Line: Suspended

Lower Harlem Line: LIMITED

New Haven Line: LIMITED

New Canaan Branch: Suspended

Danbury Branch: Suspended

Waterbury Branch: Suspended

West-of-Hudson:

Pascack Valley: Suspended

Port Jervis: Suspended

In related news, AU member jis is reporting:

We lost cell service this morning as cell towers ran out of gas driving their generators. Gas is hard to come by. Hopefully they will recharge them during the day.

 

[CHamilton]

Amtrak posts on Facebook:

Amtrak

At this time we are planning to have an update regarding service for Friday, November 2 around 2 p.m. today. We want to thank all of our passengers for their patience as we work to restore service after Hurricane Sandy. If the update is going to be significantly delayed we will let you know.

 

[PRR 60]

Here is a photo set from NJ Transit including some taken at Penn Station.

Photos

 

[CHamilton]

Here is a photo set from NJ Transit including some taken at Penn Station.

Photos

What a bleeping mess. They're going to have lots of work to do. Thanks for posting.

 

[CHamilton]

La Guardia Airport Reopens; So Does Air Train to J.F.K.

Air travel eased a little bit more on Thursday as La Guardia Airport, which had been shut down because of severe flooding from Hurricane Sandy, opened at 7 a.m., the third and last of the major New York City area airports to resume some services.

Some service was also restored Thursday on the Air Train to Kennedy International Airport, which connects the subway and train complex in Jamaica, Queens, to the airport. Long Island Rail Road trains are still down, but there is some subway service to Jamaica.

 

[CHamilton]

AMTRAK CLEARS WATER FROM ONE OF THE HUDSON RIVER TUNNELSby Amtrak on Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 10:33am ·

Repairs continue, test train to operate later today; New York City service restoration pending

Amtrak engineering and transportation forces are working together to restore service to and from New York City from points south and north on the Northeast Corridor.

Water has been pumped from one of the two Amtrak tunnels under the Hudson River and repairs continue in order to operate modified service. Among the procedures being followed is the operation of a test train -- without public passengers -- between New York City and Newark, N.J.

Amtrak will make an announcement later today regarding service restoration at New York City. When service resumes, it will subject to delay while repairs continue.

Reservations and ticketing for the modified service is not yet available. Passengers for the service will be asked to make reservations and/or use the eTicketing option with their computers and smartphones before traveling to Penn Station New York, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia or other Amtrak locations.

Customers are encouraged to monitor Amtrak.com/alerts and those Northeast Corridor passengers on Acela Express, Northeast Regional or Keystone Service trains can follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter to be notified when updates are posted on Amtrak.com. Amtrak will also be providing updates on its Facebook.com/Amtrak and Twitter.com/Amtrak pages.

Passengers who have paid but choose not to travel due to this service disruption can receive a refund or a voucher for future travel. Some tickets booked online that have not yet been printed can be modified or canceled on Amtrak.com or by using the free Amtrak mobile app.

To be notified of major service disruptions resulting in delays of 60 minutes or more to multiple trains on the Northeast Corridor, follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com/alerts for Service Alerts and Passenger Notices. Schedule information and train status updates are available at the Amtrak.com home page.

 

[amamba]

So I just called amtrak at 1800USARAIL to try to confirm if the 177 was operating this evening from BOS - PVD. My husband is in BOS today for work after taking the MBTA in this morning.

The woman on the phone was the nastiest and stupidest woman I have ever encountered working at amtrak. I was super nice and just asked if she could confirm if the 177 was running, and she told me that there was no service at all out of BOS. I asked her to double check as I had read online that modified service was running today between BOS and NHV. Then she comes back and says that there is no service between Newark and New Haven. I asked her if she could confirm that train 177 was running and she said she had no idea. Then she said she thought it was but that there would be no trains at all tomorrow out of BOS. Then she kept repeating that there were no trains between Newark and New Haven. I don't know if maybe she was geography challenged and didn't realize that Boston and Providence is completely north of that section? And why would the train be running today but NOT tomorrow?

Through all of this she was really nasty and rude to me. I am always soooo nice to people on the phone, and I have no idea what was wrong with this woman. Normally I would cut them some slack but this one took the cake.

I would call back to clarify, but I had to wait 20 minutes on hold.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

To keep the tunnels from flooding - Plug 'em! With really BIG plugs. They are a couple of years off,, but they are being developed...

Article here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/31/us/new-york-subway-plugs/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

[BLOND37]

Modified New York service now available to points south, New York-Boston and other announcements pending

November 1, 2012

4:00 p.m. ET

​

Amtrak is now taking reservations for modified service starting this evening between New York City and points south, including Trenton and Philadelphia.

​

Before traveling to Penn Station New York, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia or other Amtrak locations, passengers should make reservations and/or use the eTicketing option with their computers and smartphones.

​

Amtrak services to and from New York City are subject to delay while repairs continue.

​

Later, Amtrak will also announce plans to provide the first modified Northeast Regional service between New York City and Boston, modified Acela Express service and plans to restore other services that have been suspended due to Hurricane Sandy.

​

Repairs by other track owners also continue for the route between New York City and Albany-Rensselaer, with no estimate available for a restoration date for Empire Service trains between New York City and Buffalo/Niagara Falls, the Adirondack (Trains 68 & 69) to and from Montreal, Québec, Canada, and the Ethan Allen Express (Trains 290 & 291) to and from Rutland, Vt.

​

Customers are encouraged to monitor Amtrak.com/alerts and those Northeast Corridor passengers on Acela Express, Northeast Regional or Keystone Service trains can follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter to be notified when updates are posted on Amtrak.com. Amtrak will also be providing updates on its Facebook.com/Amtrak and Twitter.com/Amtrak pages.

 

Passengers who have paid but choose not to travel due to this service disruption can receive a refund or a voucher for future travel. Some tickets booked online that have not yet been printed can be modified or canceled on Amtrak.com or by using the free Amtrak mobile app.

​

To be notified of major service disruptions resulting in delays of 60 minutes or more to multiple trains on the Northeast Corridor, follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter.

​

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com/alerts for Service Alerts and Passenger Notices. Schedule information and train status updates are available at the Amtrak.com home page.

​

 

[johnny.menhennet]

Gov. Cuomo just announced that the Hudson Line will be operating at full service all the way to Croton-Harmon tomorrow as well as full Harlem Line service. Hopefully we'll start to see Amtrak service up to Albany by Friday or even Saturday as well.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Kudos to everyone getting service back online as quick as possible. dont think the job could have been done any better.