Boston

Boston-Bound Amtrak Train Stuck in NYC for 5 Hours

Passengers said the train had no heat and no working toilets

Passengers aboard a Boston-bound Amtrak train say they were stuck in the Bronx for around five hours without heat or working toilets.

According to Amtrak, Northeast Regional Train 66 out of Washington, D.C., was moving again by 7:30 a.m. Friday. It wasn't immediately clear what time the train lost power, but Amtrak said power was restored by 7:10 a.m. The train is due to arrive at South Station in Boston at 11:48 a.m.

Devin Driscoll was on the train. He said it departed from Penn Station as scheduled around 2:40 a.m., but lost power about an hour later in the north Bronx.

"They announced there had been a power line issue, and that Amtrak was sending a diesel locomotive to come to our aid," he said. "Then, we waited. No power, no heat."

Around 7:20 a.m., he said the train started moving again. He and his wife were then told to get off the train at New Rochelle, where they were left freezing on the platform for 25 minutes before another train pulled up. He is now on that train, headed for his final destination of Providence, Rhode Island.

"It's been quite an adventure," he said.

Other passengers voiced their frustration on Twitter.

"I was supposed to arrive in Providence an hour and a half ago. And I'm still (in) New York!" said one. "They (had) us get off at New Rochelle, claiming that we need to get on the next train. But it's 22 degrees, we're all freezing..."

Amtrak responded to passengers via Twitter, apologizing and saying they should call the railroad's customer relations department.

"There are mechanical issues with the train. No ETD," said one such message.

The railroad said there was a problem with overhead electrical wires.

Amtrak released a statement apologizing to the passengers who were stuck on the train.

"Today we fell short of providing the outstanding service that customers should expect from Amtrak, and we are sorry for the delay and the significant inconvenience, including the loss of heat onboard. We also regret that some passengers did not receive adequate information about the situation while we worked to fix the problems."

The train stalled amid frigid temperatures in the 20s. But it felt more like the 10s or lower with wind chills factored in.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us