An Amtrak maintenance train caught fire near Penn Station in on Friday morning, resulting in injuries to five persons and causing significant disruptions to rail services for thousands of commuters heading into midtown.
The two-alarm fire broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m., following reports received by the FDNY regarding a fire in an Amtrak work train car located on track 11 within one of the River Tunnels, as stated by fire officials and Transit, NY POST reported.
A total of 46 units and 141 personnel were dispatched to extinguish the fire.
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Amtrak train fire: All we know about victims
According to the FDNY, two victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital with serious injuries. The other three individuals declined treatment.
An FDNY official informed reporters, as reported by 1010WINS, that all five victims are transit workers.
“We had to go through an emergency exit to extinguish the fire, that was the closest option to us. It would have been a significantly difficult stretch of the hose line to go through actually Penn Station itself so we had to go through the emergency exit,” FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Barvels said.
“Very heavy smoke condition, high heat, a lot of hazards down there, tripping hazards, electrical hazards, but out units, we’re trained for this,” Barvels said.
Amtrak train fire: Know about damages and suspension of train services
Damage to overhead wiring along track 11 led to the suspension of service by New Jersey Transit and Long Island Railroad at the busy Manhattan station.
New Jersey Transit has redirected its Midtown Direct service to Hoboken, where passengers with rail tickets and passes will be transferred to private buses and the PATH train, which will take them to the 33rd Street station in New York City.
The LIRR announced partial suspensions to its service and redirected 11 of its lines from Penn Station to Grand Central.
All other lines are anticipated to experience delays or cancellations. LIRR passengers should expect trains to be rerouted to Grand Central or Long Island City.
Commuters are advised to seek alternative routes to bypass the vicinity of 10th Avenue between 31st and 33rd streets.
Amtrak train fire cause under investigation
Fire crews successfully managed to control the blaze by 4:05 a.m., and an inquiry into the cause is currently in progress.
Details regarding the timeline for the resumption of service have not been disclosed.
