Commuters Caught in Rush-Hour Nightmare at Penn Station

Signal and switch problems caused headaches for commuters out of Penn Station during the evening rush Tuesday.

The Long Island Rail Road saw widespread delays and cancellations because of signal problems on the Amtrak-owned tracks in the East River tunnels. Westbound service was also suspended for a period of time. 

Meanwhile, New Jersey Transit had its own switch problems and riders were delayed up to a half hour trying to get out of Penn Station. A spokeswoman said the issues were unrelated to the ones LIRR experienced. 

penn station credit jason rabinowitz
Jason Rabinowitz/@AirlineFlyer
Crowds at Penn Station Tuesday evening.

LIRR says all trains are running on or close to schedule. An Amtrak spokesman said Tuesday night it had fixed the signal issue.

MTA police at one point had to restrict access into Penn Station at 34th Street and 7th Avenue because of severe crowding. 

"It's a mayhem," said one stuck commuter as she wiped her face in the sweltering underground heat. "We're all trying to figure it out and stay cool on top of it." 

"When it's cold, the signals go. When it's hot, the signals go," said another woman. "It's an excuse we hear every year. I wish they could improve that situation. We don't have a choice. We're stuck." 

LIRR riders should check www.mta.info/lirr for updates; NJ Transit riders can go to njtransit.com

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