June 6 (UPI) — Passenger train service in the U.S. Northeast was still not back to full capacity early Friday afternoon after crews worked overnight to repair a power outage in Connecticut.
Amtrak passenger trains were running between New York City and Westport, Conn., as of 1:30 p.m. EDT Friday, although buses were still providing local service.
MTA Metro-North Railroad service continued to experience delays and cancellations Friday morning.
“Following a partial service suspension caused by downed overhead wires near Westport, today’s morning commute includes cancellations and combined trains,” the suburban commuter rail service said on X Friday morning.
The railroad was still cautioning commuters to expect regular delays of up to 15 minutes Friday afternoon on the busy line between New York City and New Haven, Conn.
Amtrak said it was still experiencing delays Friday afternoon.
“All services operating between Stamford and New Haven are currently experiencing a delay due to an electrical system outage, resulting in heavy rail congestion and speed restrictions in the area,” the company said on X.
“Our rail partner’s track maintenance team is currently working to restore the electrical system. Once it’s restored, All service will resume at normal track speeds. We are dedicated to providing updates to you as soon as it becomes available. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
All Amtrak trains and some Metro-North service was suspended Thursday evening after the power failure shut down all four commuter tracks. Crews managed to get one operational overnight with two back in service Friday morning.
Travelers to and from cities such as Boston, Stamford, Philadelphia and Springfield were all affected.
The cause of the outage remains under investigation.
The rail line known as the Northeast Corridor runs from Boston to Washington, D.C., and is the busiest stretch of rail in the country, seeing about 800,000 trips per day.
In 2023, then-President Joe Biden announced $16 billion in spending to upgrade rail infrastructure, including the Northeast Corridor.
Both Amtrak and Metro North use electric-powered locomotives in that part of the Northeast corridor, meaning a power outage can bring things to a standstill.
Amtrak does have dual-use locomotives that can be powered by diesel or electricity in the region but they are typically used only between Albany and New York,