NEW YORK CITY — Tunnel ice caused widespread delays on the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit Friday morning, authorities said.
The ice was discovered hanging above the tracks in both the Hudson River and the East River tunnels leading out of Penn Station starting around 8:30 a.m, an Amtrak spokesman said.
A number of tunnels were taken out of service while the ice was cleared, triggering up to hour-long delays on NJ Transit and Amtrak trains, as well as 20 to 30 minutes delays on the LIRR, transit officials said.
Amtrak staff normally removes ice from overhanging wires overnight when there are fewer trains running, officials said, but Amtrak had to do ice clearing Friday morning when temperatures dipped to just 2 degrees.
"In the case of extreme temperatures like this, the number one thing we need to be mindful of is safety," Amtrak spokesman Craig Schulz said.
He added that all the tunnels should be fully restored by the early afternoon.
"Given the extreme conditions I'm hesitant to say anything about what may hold," Schulz added. "[But] we should be OK for the evening rush hour."
Some subway service was also disrupted, but it was unclear if the ice caused the delays, officials said.
As an alternative to service, PATH trains were cross-honoring NJ Transit tickets.
"[Build] extra time into your commute and [plan] accordingly," said NJ Transit spokesman William Smith said.
