Massive service interruptions (1/3)

[pgengler]

Boy, was this morning a mess. I rode the 126 bus to Hoboken today, went downstairs to get on the PATH like usual, except that everyone was standing around, mostly outside the turnstiles (which were all red). No real news, and it was getting cold standing there, so I figured I'd head up to the main terminal waiting room to stay a little warmer. Heard an announcement that the light rail was cross honoring, so I joined the mass of people heading that way. Waited outside for the second train, and boy was it cold today. On the train (and I think on the platform, but I couldn't really here) there were announcements about using either the Pavonia/Newport or Exchange Place stations to catch PATH.

Packed in like sardines on the light rail, some of the people got off at Pavonia, most of the rest getting off at Exchange Place. I was lucky to have been crammed against one of the doors, so I was one of the first people to get to the station and caught the first elevator down. I ended up packed in on that too, and I bet there were a lot of people waiting for the elevators.

Once down on the platform, it was a couple of minutes until the WTC train pulled in, already crowded to the gills. Some people got off (thankfully) and those of us on the platform packed in once more. I ended up getting into work about a half hour later than usual.


Does anyone know what happened? PATH Alert e-mails and the announcements mentioned a "track condition", and I heard some people talking about a fire on the tracks.

Also, I got an e-mail at one point saying that service has resumed in and out of Hoboken, followed shortly thereafter by another citing "police activity" as the cause for another suspension of service on the Hoboken lines. It looks like things are back up now.

[B0000rt]

There was a fire in the PATH tubes apparently.

I got to work abit early :D Newark Penn was pretty empty because of the NJCL and NEC wires down just West of Newark.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/0 ... _nj_t.html

Earlier today, two track fires halted all PATH service out of Hoboken for nearly two hours. Service was restored at 9:30 a.m. and trains were running 15 minutes behind schedule as of 9:40 a.m., said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

[pgengler]

I just found this story from 1010 WINS. Apparently there were three fires, two third-rail ones and one in what I assume is the old car shop building. I'm curious what they mean when the say "engulfed"; actually engulfed, as in gutted and likely to be torn down, or is that just an exaggeration?

PATH service at the Hoboken station was suspended by late morning after three separate fires -- the last of which engulfed a maintenance building located next to the station -- at about 10:30 a.m.

Service was suspended on the lines between the Hoboken station and the World Trade Center and 33rd Street in Manhattan, according to PATH spokesman Steve Coleman.

Earlier in the morning, two separate fires developed within an hour of each other as a result of problems with the third rail just outside the Hoboken station, Coleman said. The second fire was put out and service was restored by about 9:30 a.m., only to be suspended an hour later due to the third fire.