Central to Amtrak's charm is that taking a train still makes you feel like a human being, rather than flying veal. You can show up 2 minutes before the train pulls out of the station, there's ample legroom and space to move around (dining car!), everyone isn't breathing recycled rage-air, and a friendly person takes your ticket and gives it a punch. However, you'll see less of that bygone ritual this summer, when 1,700 conductors will start using iPhones to scan tickets. more ›

There are hours of delays in store for NJ Transit and Amtrak riders, after a NJ Transit train apparently hit some wires. WPIX reports, "A NJ Transit train carrying about 500 passengers was stuck in a Hudson River tunnel, causing rippling delays for Tuesday morning commuters. The train was New York-bound and supposed to have arrived at Penn Station at 5:40 a.m. But the train snagged on some overhead wiring, causing a malfunction at Secaucus Junction. By 8 a.m., the stalled train had begun moving again toward Manhattan." more ›

Amtrak, that train you take to escape New York from time to time, should be pretty familiar with the city, but the writers of their magazine may need some pointers. As a tipster just pointed out to us, their current issue refers to SoHo, Harlem, and Williamsburg as boroughs. more ›

Yesterday, a survey revealed the unsurprising news that customers are pretty unhappy with NJ Transit's customer service, rating the service a 4.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. Now, NJ Transit is telling its customers, "Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains are subject to 30-60 minute delays in/out of NY due to power problems in one Hudson River tunnel. Midtown Direct trains are operating to/from Hoboken. PATH cross honoring rail tickets/passes at Newark, Hoboken and 33rd St." D'oh! more ›

All those commuters who are reportedly giving up their cars to take NJ Transit are going to love this: A switch and signal problem in Newark is causing some serious delays for Amtrak and NJ Transit trains running into and out of Penn Station this evening. NJ Transit is saying 45-60 minutes while Amtrak is saying 60-90 minutes. more ›

No derailments this time, but once again NJ Transit and Amtrak trains between New York and New Jersey are having some serious troubles. The problem this go round? They ain't got no power in the tunnels! Which means that Some people are not having a good commute at all. more ›

NJ Transit riders are in for more delays today: following an Amtrak derailment in the Sunnyside Yard in Queens, NJ Transit is reporting delays of up to 30 minutes on the Northeast Corridor and Midtown Direct lines. more ›

As one rider just Tweeted, "BITE MY LEFT NUT NJ TRANSIT!!!" NJ Transit just suspended service on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct lines due to "an Amtrak power supply problem" for the afternoon/evening commute. And it was just at 7:15 a.m. when NJ Transit had to suspend service due to Amtrak's power issues! more ›

Wondering why your coworkers from outside the city are taking so long to get to the office on the first day of summer? Not their fault! A transformer fire in Brunswick, New Jersey, brought Amtrak and NJ Transit along parts of the northeast corridor to a standstill early this morning. more ›

The work to repair a track in a tunnel shared by Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road is going to take longer than expected, which means the LIRR will have service disruptions through Friday. For today's service, 22 trains were canceled or diverted, and the transit agency had been hoping that would be it, LIRR president Helena Williams said, "I am disappointed that Amtrak was not able to complete their repair work in time to meet the goal of returning to normal service by Thursday." more ›

The LIRR service disruptions, which were caused by an Amtrak train derailment in an East River tunnel on Sunday, are continuing this morning, and the MTA says get used to it. Rush hour service is expected to be affected through "at least" Wednesday. This morning the MTA reduced the number of trains that it normally operates into Penn Station during the morning rush by 25 percent: a total of 22 of the 98 trains are be canceled, terminated or diverted this morning, and you can expect the same for the evening rush. On the bright side, at least everybody's keeping this situation in perspective on Twitter: more ›

Thanks to the trio of Republican governors Rick Scott, John Kasich, and Scott Walker, who all rejected millions in high-speed rail funds from the federal government, the northeast rail corridor will receive $800 million for improvements. The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock reports that much of the work will be done to increase train speed (up to 160 mph!) between New York and Washington, D.C., with repairs being made to switches around Penn Station and equipment updates "along a busy segment of track between Morrisville, Pa., and New Brunswick, N.J." Unfortunately, it is government work, so the upgrades won't be completed until 2017. more ›

After an Amtrak train derailed in an East River tunnel yesterday, the Long Island Railroad is experiencing heavy delays and a "significantly reduced" schedule this morning. 23 westbound trains are cancelled, diverted, or terminating at Jamaica Station, where passengers can transfer to the subway into Manhattan. According to the MTA, about a quarter of the trains that the LIRR normally operates into Penn Station during the morning rush will be affected. Officials expect more cancellations and delays for tonight's p.m. rush as well! Let's turn to Twitter to see how people are coping: more ›

Senator Chuck Schumer, who just lurves his Sunday press conferences, yesterday called on the Department of Homeland Security and Amtrak to institute a "no-ride list" to complement the existing airline "no-fly list." His call to action came after files found at Osama bin Laden's compound suggested that Al Qaeda was planning a train attack for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. It is unclear how exactly such a system would be implemented, but Amtrak says it will review the proposal. more ›

A few minutes ago, the LIRR wrote on Twitter, "The 4:52 PM train from New York due in to Babylon at 5:55 PM has been canceled." And now we know why. The MTA writes, "Due to an Amtrak derailment that is blocking one of the East River Tunnels, the LIRR will be required to cancel a number of eastbound trains this evening during the PM rush hour. Customers should also anticipate delays. Please listen closely to announcements." more ›

Amtrak has suspended service between NYC and Albany due to "record-setting temperatures... Sub-zero temperatures have caused some signals, switches and equipment to freeze, and as a precautionary measure, Amtrak has temporarily suspended" Empire Service. It gets worse: The Times Union's Capitol Confidential tweets that some representatives' aides are now stranded, which has us worried Albany lawmakers won't be able to maintain their famously high level of productivity today. more ›

Good luck to everyone who is traveling for their Thanksgiving meals today—expect delays whether you're traveling by car, train or plane. This year, the AAA believes Thanksgiving travel will be up by 11.4% due to a better economy, with car travel up by over 12% and air travel up by 3.5%. And Amtrak is also prepared for today's rush of people carrying pumpkin pies and other fixin's—the rail service will be using all of its train cars today. more ›

A few weeks ago, NJ Governor Chris Christie cancelled plans to build a second NJ Transit tunnel between New Jersey and New York, seemingly for good. Well, not if Amtrak has anything to say about it. Amtrak Vice President Al Engel says they're talking to NJ Transit about teaming up and finishing the tunnel themselves, and using it for a high-speed rail. However, they stress there is nothing set in stone, so there's still plenty of time for the abandoned construction space to get turned into an elite street art collection. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] The Office of Emergency Management says that there's been a "minor train derailment" at Penn Station, and NJ Transit and Amtrak are experiencing delays this evening. Though the derailment isn't considered major, the delays are nothing to sneeze at; Fox 5 reports hour-long delays on NJ Transit Northeast Corridor/North Jersey Coastline trains leaving New York. The derailment happened this morning, when a Midtown Direct train went off the tracks as it was leaving the station. 300 people were on board, but there were no reported injuries. more ›

Expect to see more various law enforcement authorities during your commute, if you travel through the big transit hubs, because there's an Operation Railsafe surge today. According to WABC 7, "The greatest concentration will be at major rail hubs like Penn Station and Grand Central terminal. NYPD officers will also ride the rails with bomb sniffing dogs, and bag checkpoints are possible. Meanwhile, Amtrak will have increased uniformed police visible along major routes and heightened station patrols." more ›

Amtrak offered this Earl-related explanation: Overhead electrical system damage from a tree which fell from outside Amtrak property in Connecticut and more severe weather forecasted this evening has led Amtrak to suspend all through service between New York and Boston (South Station). Those passengers currently on Amtrak trains in the affected area are being returned to their stations." more ›

We'll get to the mess that was/still is Long Island Rail Road travel in a moment, but NJ Transit and Amtrak riders are having their share of train pain this morning. Here's an alert from NJ Transit at 7:57 a.m.: "Rail service on the Northeast Corridor (including NJCL & Midtown Direct) temporarily suspended due to Amtrak power problem." And here's how a woman on Twitter explained it, "What the fucking fuck, #NJTransit? 'All trains are coming to a stop...um, I'll let you know,' is a useless announcement." more ›

Yesterday, service on Metro North's New Haven line was suspended, due to wire problems. The result? Thousands of people were stranded, the NY Times reports: "The problems, which began about 4:30 p.m., stranded thousands of people at stations in Connecticut and Westchester County and led to a chaotic scene at Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, where would-be passengers rushed from track to track in an effort to find seats on any New Haven-bound train." more ›

NJ Transit has this message on its website, "Due to equipment problems related to the extreme heat, NJ TRANSIT is advising rail customers to expect delays and cancelations during the morning commute of Wednesday, July 7, 2010." OUCH. 1010 WINS reports, "A train got stuck because of the power problems at the Elizabeth station, forcing frustrated passengers, including 1010 WINS' business correspondent Larry Kofsky, to wait on the platform in the baking sun." more ›

Today, those of you passing through big transit hubs, like Grand Central, Penn Station and Herald Square, may seem more police officers and other law enforcement agencies in force. That's because it's the second big transit drill involving the NYPD (including its Counterterrorism, ESU, K9, Transit and plainclothes units); police from Amtrak, the MTA, the Port Authority, and NJ Transit; the National guard; the TSA; and NY State's Homeland Security. According to WABC 7, "Beginning at approximately 7 a.m., commuters will experience increased police presence; bag screenings and inspections of train and subway cars." The last drill was in April. more ›