Disabled NJT train! Disembarking in the tunnel leading to Penn Station, mere steps from the platform

Friday, June 21, 2024

Let me preface what I’m about to say with an acknowledgement that I fully appreciate NJT’s recognition that we were stuck mere feet from a platform, so mercifully, they allowed us to low-level platform disembark from the train, walk the remaining 20 feet in the tunnel beneath Penn Station and climb the steps to the platform. I recognize that NJT employees, and particularly my daily conductors, do the best job they can with the equipment and infrastructure they’re provided with.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ve commuted to/from New York City on the Northeast Corridor line daily for nearly 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this week. This week was a holiday week (Juneteenth), and many of us had Wednesday off. But we had to get through Monday and Tuesday first. With near-record high temperatures, Tuesday may have been the worst commuter day I’ve experienced in my 25 years. During my morning commute our train stopped at Newark, and they announced there was a disabled train near the tunnel. I chose to wait it out, as many times these things resolve themselves within an hour – Not this time. This time the conductor announced after a half hour that this train was being decommissioned, and we all needed to find alternative transportation. I ended up following the herd to the PATH train, where I transferred at Journal Square and ended up at 33rd and 6th.

That was only my morning commute. That evening, trains departing Penn Station were a mess. With nearly all trains delayed, I took the first possible candidate train, a local. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, a disabled train back at Hamilton messed things up. Our conductor announced that we’d be “picking up” the disabled train’s riders, and because they were blocking the track, we couldn’t low-level platform disembark, so we needed to continue to Trenton, where I’d need to turn around. First we needed to back up a couple miles to a switch track to allow us to continue. I finally arrived at Trenton, and due to severe weather, I waited for 2 hours for a return train to get me to Hamilton.

Wednesday was a holiday, and the week wasn’t over yet!

Thursday morning’s commute was okay, but by Thursday evening, all hell had broken loose at Penn Station. I arrived last evening to a board that displayed every NJT train from 2:30 on as being cancelled or delayed. Every. Single. One. Many commuters were leaving Penn to take PATH to Newark, but I figured I’d be more comfortable in the A/C at Penn. Besides, if trains weren’t leaving Penn, there was nothing to pick you up from Newark, so I may as well stay put. An hour-and-a-half later, a local to Trenton displayed on the board, so I took it.

Today is Friday, and I figured there’s NO WAY today’s commute can get messed up – I’ve already paid my dues! Neil, my morning conductor even asked me “So, how’d you make out last night?” And “I can’t believe what you go through every day.” I thought to myself that surely today’s ride would be problem-free. And for the most part, it was! Smooth sailing through Newark, no problems at Secaucus. And lightning-fast through the tunnel. Right up until we got to about 15 feet from the platform! No lie, from the front car, we all saw the steps of the platform mere feet from the front of our train! The train stopped dead. No power, lights out, air conditioner off. We sat there for about a half hour, commuters on the verge of revolt. Today’s experience was the pièce de resistance of my 25-year adventure, and I had to capture video of the adventure, because nobody could understand the absurdity of all this unless you saw some of it with your own eyes. And this adventure didn’t stop here! Fox News interviewed me right when I popped up outside. Nope, in all my 25 years commuting on NJT, I’ve never seen anything like this week.