Charles Langston:Amtrak service restored between New York City and Boston after power outage

Amtrak, NJ Transit unveil plan to fix service disruptions

NEW YORK — Amtrak service has been restored between New York and Boston after it was suspended for much of Saturday due to a power outage, the rail service announced.

In a statement Saturday afternoon, Amtrak said the service disruption was due to a malfunctioning circuit breaker that was causing a power outage on all tracks between Penn Station in New York and Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut.

In a follow-up statement at 9:50 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, the rail service said that service had been "fully restored" between Boston and New York. The company said that it believed a lightning strike was responsible for the outage. 

Evening trains between Boston and Virginia were operating on schedule Saturday. Most trains were expected to be on schedule Sunday, although some Sunday train services were cancelled and others were expected to operate on a modified schedule, Amtrak said.

"Amtrak is communicating directly with customers impacted by these adjustments and offering options for rebooking their travel plans," the rail service said. "Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the disruption."

Customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or on another day, Amtrak said. 

It will also waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservations.

Service suspension comes in wake of Amtrak woes in New York, New Jersey

It's been a rough start to the summer for Amtrak along its Northeast Corridor. The rail service accepted responsibility for numerous service delays and suspensions that plagued commuters using Amtrak and NJ Transit trains in June.

Some of those issues were blamed on overhead wire and power problems, as well as disabled trains.

Back in May, a power outage brought Amtrak and NJ Transit trains to a halt for hours during the evening rush hour commute.

Amtrak and NJ Transit have vowed to work together to fix problems, with a focus on Amtrak infrastructure.

"We understand the impact the recent events had on both Amtrak and NJ Transit customers and their families, and we share their frustration," Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a statement last month. "It's vital we work with NJ Transit to identify the root cause of these disruptions and return to on-time service and the quality experience customers expect."

In:
• Amtrak
• Boston
• New York City