Amtrak service returning to normal after switch problems caused widespread delays

Signal issues that interrupted Amtrak service to Manhattan have been restored, but not before trains along the northeast corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. were heavily delayed or canceled to start the busy New Year’s Eve holiday, Amtrak officials told Newsday.

Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said the “hardware issues” appear to relate to “switches on the railroads” that needed to be replaced. The service interruptions began Saturday night, with some trains being delayed up to two hours, and continued through Sunday morning.

“Everything has now been restored,” Abrams said shortly after 11 a.m.

Springfield, Massachusetts, Roanoke, Virginia and Albany were among other affected cities, Amtrak said in announcing the issues. Travelers were being advised to download the Amtrak app for the latest service updates.

New Jersey Transit announced at 6 a.m. that its service from Trenton to Penn Station had been suspended but as of 10:30 a.m. said service was returning back to normal.

While more than one million people are expected to pack into Times Square to watch the ball drop this New Year’s Eve, Abrams said the holiday is not necessarily a busier day for Amtrak, which typically operates on a normal schedule for the holiday.

“It’s not like Thanksgiving,” Abrams said. “People are traveling all different days.”

Long Island Rail Road trains are running on-or-close to schedule Sunday, according to its website.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.