Massive Power Failure Hits NYC

[AlanB]

While I've yet to hear anything on the news, in part because I have no power, I can hear on my scanner that all Subways have no power city wide. Also all LIRR and Amtrak service is out. I'm also assuming that Metro North is also out of service.

 

[AlanB]

A fire at a major New York power plant caused cascading blackouts throughout the Northeast, the Midwest and eastern Canada late Thursday afternoon, knocking out electricity to millions of people in New York, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland and elsewhere.

The full story from MSNBC.

 

[battalion51]

Hmmm, I wonder how long it'll be before they can get corridor service restored. I also have to be guessing they are trying to use diesels as much as they can up there.

 

[tp49]

As of right now (6 PM EST) power is beginning to return to certain parts of the aera, namely on Long Island. I wonder what the LIRR would have had as a contingency plan to get passengers home especially with the subways not running, and what would/has Amtrak done vis-a-vie people on trains on either side of the outage and passengers waiting for trains at Penn.

 

[AlanB]

Well so far no power here in Queens. Reports that I'm seeing say that some areas, no word on what areas, may not see power until tomorrow. I have no idea if that includes NYC or if it's in more outlying areas.

The LIRR is trying to position it's diesel's in an effort to push stranded electric trains into stations. Of course many of those trains have already been evacuated, with or without crew help. I could hear reports of passengers removing the emergency windows within 15 minutes of the start of the outage.

I don't think that there are any plans to actually try and run trains. There is simply no way for them to move that many people first of all. Second all mainlines are littered with stranded electric trains.

I don't think that Penn is being overwhelmed with people, since most can't get there. There is some bus service running, but without traffic lights they aren't moving very fast.

On the subway side, evactuations continue and supervisors are walking all tracks system wide to confirm that all trains have indeed been evacuated.

I'm currently on-line via my laptop and it's battery. However that won't last forever and I have no idea how much longer I'll be able to stay online.

Thankfully I had just reached home, less than 10 minutes before this hit. I had been out riding the rails this morning, will Bill Haithcoat who's in town.

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak, which began experiencing power problems at 4:10 p.m., suspended all service between New York's Penn Station and New Haven, Conn., and Newark, N.J., spokesman Cliff Black said.

Black said no Amtrak trains were stranded when the power went out.

The full story from 1010 WINS News.

 

[AlanB]

As of 8:15 PM EST, I'm hearing reports from train crews in the Bronx who are seeing power being restored. Things are still out in Queens and Manhattan, but hopefully these areas will follow the Bronx soon. All trains that are once again under power are being ordered to remain out of service and to stay put wherever they are until the entire city has power back.

Crews continue to confirm that all trains are evacuated.

I've just heard that one track on the LIRR now has power at 8:19. The LIRR has been moving some trains into stations with diesels, but there is no service other than positioning a train into a station.

 

[battalion51]

I wonder if and when the SB Meteor, and other trains will be able to get out of New York if at all.

 

[Steve4031]

What about signals? They need electricity too.

 

[AlanB]

Well it's now 9:50 PM EST and power is still out here in NYC. I'm hearing reports that power has been restored to Westchester County, which would explain my earlier post that a few stations in the Bronx now have power. Overall though things are still grim.

I continue to hear reports from LIRR diesel crews rescuing stranded electric trains. All subways are still at a standstill, although buses continue to operate as best as they can. Cars are allowed to drive, however if you leave the city you will not be allowed to re-enter until the power is restored. The previous post about power to the third rail was in error, there is still no power on the LIRR, at least in Queens.

The MTA is apparently hopeful that power will be back soon, as they are currently broadcasting instructions to the crews about not touching the controls on the trains for at least 15 minutes, once power is restored.

This will probably be my last post until power is restored, as the battery is just about used up on my laptop.

 

[AlanB]

I wonder if and when the SB Meteor, and other trains will be able to get out of New York if at all.

Unless they hooked up a diesel, the Meteor isn't going anywhere. Even if they did hook up a diesel, there are probably no passengers in NYP. I suspect that the station has been evacuated.

 

[battalion51]

I am having to guess the train has been annulled, along with many others.

 

[tp49]

Thousands of rush-hour commuters were led by National Guardsmen out of a pitch-black Penn Station yesterday, stuck in Manhattan by a power outtage that shut down all train service.
Unable to see even a few inches in front of them, commuters filed out of the darkened, cavernous station - some crying, others holding hands - onto a sun-baked Seventh Avenue.

This is a story from Newsday regarding the story at Penn with the LIRR. The rest can be found here.

 

[Arkarch]

From what I am hearing on Fox News, LIRR has been rather non-communicative about their status and options, including the vapor-Buses they claimed would be available. LIRR - Nice black eye guys.

Somehow this reminds me of my 2-3 hour unplanned stops on certain Amtrak long distance trains, that only for the benefit of having a scanner did I know that things were messed up.

Why is it that railroads have no idea how to communicate with their passengers? Is it just some sort of cultural thing for them?

I love trains. And the trains could use better Public Relations staff. LIRR and Amtrak, are you listening?

*-silence-*

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Are all Metro North Trains are not runing today?

 

[AlanB]

From what I am hearing on Fox News, LIRR has been rather non-communicative about their status and options, including the vapor-Buses they claimed would be available.  LIRR - Nice black eye guys.
Somehow this reminds me of my 2-3 hour unplanned stops on certain Amtrak long distance trains, that only for the benefit of having a scanner did I know that things were messed up.

Why is it that railroads have no idea how to communicate with their passengers?  Is it just some sort of cultural thing for them?

I love trains.  And the trains could use better Public Relations staff.  LIRR and Amtrak, are you listening?  

*-silence-*

I think that in this particular case, you are being a little harsh on the LIRR. There is simply no way to plan for this type of event. Even worse there is really no way to communicate with the people. Without power, there is no Public Address system on the platforms, you don't have PA's on the trains, and 90% of the people in the area have no radios or TV to listen.

Even now at 9:00 AM here in NY, TV channels 5 & 7 are still off the air. Channels 2 & 4 are operating, but even they are having problems.

I live in Queens and last night I spent most of the night listening to my scanner and the major efforts by both the LIRR crews and the MTA Subway crews to evacuate the trains as soon as possible. The LIRR did indeed crank up its diesels to pull stranded trains into stations. They however were hampered by the fact that the tracks were blocked with stalled trains and people who were evacuating their trains with out employee help.

Buses would have simply been impossible as traffic was a nightmare, since there were no traffic lights. In many places there still are no traffic lights. Only about 60% of the city is back on-line with power at this time.

 

[Amfleet Fan]

My office is located next to the NE Corridor in Newark, NJ. As I was leaving work at 5:10PM EST yesterday, one of the long distance trains (Might have been one of the Florida Trains, 3 Viewliners) was slowing heading north to Newark Penn Station.

What surprised me was how this train was operating at all? If there was no power anywhere in my area, how was their power in the overhead catenary?

 

[AlanB]

The 9:00 AM EST update from NYC:

There is still no LIRR service nor subway service in NY.

As of 9:00 AM, Metro North will start providing one train per hour on each line into Grand Central. This will be diesel service only and is intended more to get people who were stranded in NYC last night, back home. They will accept Manhattan bound passengers, but unless your job is in a critical services area you are encouraged not to come into the city.

NJT is providing service on about half of its lines. They include the NEC, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, and the Morris & Essex. The M&E is not running into Hoboken, it is only running Midtown Direct service. All trains are running on a Saturday schedule.

The Newark City Subway and the Hudson-Bergen Light rail are running normally. PATH is also running a normal schedule.

Amtrak is providing limited service into Penn Station from the south only. There is still no Amtrak service north of Penn.

Buses are running, but with huge delays.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Is the FL9s and the P32AC-DM are Runing on all Metro North Trains?

 

[AlanB]

My office is located next to the NE Corridor in Newark, NJ. As I was leaving work at 5:10PM EST yesterday, one of the long distance trains (Might have been one of the Florida Trains, 3 Viewliners) was slowing heading north to Newark Penn Station.
What surprised me was how this train was operating at all? If there was no power anywhere in my area, how was their power in the overhead catenary?

I do know that Newark Penn Station retained operating power. I don't know if all of Newark was plunged into darkness or just parts of it.

However, the odds are that the catenary in that area was powered by a substation near say Metro Park. Not all of NJ was hit by the power failure, so if that substation was in an area that kept power, it would then be able to keep the catenary energized for quite a ways.

I don't off the top of my head recall just how far, but I seem to think that one sub station supplies power to close to 50 miles of track.

 

[AlanB]

The 9:30 AM update:

The MTA is starting to move some subway trains in areas that have power back. The trains are not in service, this is mearly an effort to bring trains either into stations or yards in an effort to prepare to restore service once all of the city has power back.

 

[Amfleet Fan]

Two NJT Trains powered by ALP-44's just passed my office at speed so I think they may have full power now.

However, the trains looks pretty empty.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Are Amtrak and Metro North Work Trains are runing now?

 

[AlanB]

Are Amtrak and Metro North Work Trains are runing now?

I'm sure that no work trains are out today. They are still trying to restore full service, so they are not going to be doing any repair work today.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

The Amtrak Train Lake Shore Limited Train from Chicago IL left last night and so is the Train number 48 will not ends at Penn Station New York?