new york –Hundreds of Amtrak passengers experienced major traffic troubles Sunday.
Service between Albany and New York City is temporarily suspended.
“I don’t know what’s going on and it’s never going to happen,” Amtrak rider Nayara Lopez said.
Empire Line trains bound for Albany have been canceled due to what Amtrak calls an unexpected track closure. It originated from a privately owned building in Hell’s Kitchen above the railroad tracks. Caution tape was seen wrapped around the Icon parking lot on 51st Street between 10th and 11th Streets Sunday night.
“We know it’s literally the structure and infrastructure, so we can get angry at the system as a whole and say, ‘We’ve got to check that infrastructure more often,’ but specific individuals It’s hard to hold people accountable. That’s the way life goes.” Rider Maya Ali said.
The Department of Buildings referred CBS New York to City Hall, who confirmed there were “structural issues” with the parking lot, adding, “The DOB will immediately issue an emergency work order and provide technical assistance to the parking lot owner to address the issue.” “I ordered them to make a contract with someone.” ”
Eviction orders and signs posted outside the closed parking lot indicated it had been closed since Friday, but Amtrak announced the cancellation Sunday afternoon.
“I mean, I’m glad they’re rerouting it and taking care of it, but yeah, I mean, the structure is aging,” rider Hannah Garrison said.
Long lines formed at Moynihan Train Hall Sunday night due to the suspension. Amtrak told passengers that service between the city and Croton-Harmon would also be temporarily suspended. A notice was issued that eight trains would be suspended. Some people are praying that the disruption won’t delay them coming to work on Monday.
Annemarie Duell, a schoolteacher, has to be on time for work in the morning. Otherwise, she says, “she’ll end up writing some sub-plans at the last minute.”