Holiday travelers are stuck or scrambling as rail service has come to a crawl in much of the Northeast.
Train service in and out of New York Penn Station was temporarily suspended due to Amtrak power problems, causing a headache for commuters during the morning rush.
The Associated Press reports that Amtrak could not operate its popular Northeast Regional and Acela trains between New York and New Jersey for three hours Wednesday. Power was restored at about 11:50 a.m., but transit officials say it'll take some time for service to catch up.
NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel says a low voltage problem has halted Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct trains into and out of Penn Station, where hundreds of passengers are waiting under the big board where signs just read "Delayed" for all trains.
Some trains are stranded just outside Penn Station and others are stuck between Newark and New York City.
Stessel says there is enough electricity to power the lights and heat on the trains, but not the engines.
Some passengers were more patient than others as they played the waiting game.
Kelly Lundy, of New Brunswick, had been sitting on her bag at the NJ Transit waiting area for nearly three hours.
"What can you do," she said, sheepishly looking up from Facebook on her hand-held electronic device. "It's the holidays."
Most passengers are trying to transfer to Path trains or buses. Midtown Direct trains are being diverted to Hoboken. PATH trains and Port Authority buses are honoring NJ Transit rail passes. Amtrak continues to work on the problem.
Gary Gotham was heading to Virginia for Christmas. He waited under the Amtrak big board for a hopeful sign. But, as a backup, he whipped out his cellphone and started calling hotels "in case I have to spend Christmas in the city," he said.
