A fire involving an Amtrak contractor maintenance vehicle inside a Hudson River tunnel forced the suspension of NJ Transit and Amtrak rail services into and out of New York Penn Station in the early hours of Friday, May 29, 2026, stranding thousands of morning commuters and disrupting rail travel along the Northeast Corridor. Five people were injured in the blaze, two of them seriously. Service disruptions for NJ Transit are expected to last through the morning rush hour, while full Amtrak restoration between New York and points south is not anticipated until the afternoon.
The incident is the second Penn Station fire-related disruption in two weeks, compounding concerns about the reliability of one of the United States’ busiest rail hubs. The fire affected three major rail operators simultaneously: Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road, though LIRR restored full service by approximately 7 a.m.
Fire Breaks Out Before 2 a.m., Reaches Two Alarms
The New York City Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a fire at approximately 1:30 a.m. at Penn Station’s Track 11, located just west of the station near 10th Avenue and 31st Street. Nearly 100 FDNY personnel responded to the scene. The fire rose to two alarms around 3 a.m. and was brought under control approximately one hour later.
Two people sustained serious injuries and were transported to Bellevue Hospital. Three others were evaluated at the scene and refused medical treatment. Amtrak confirmed the fire involved a contractor maintenance vehicle operating in one of the Hudson River tunnels. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Thick black smoke was visible billowing from a stairwell entrance on 31st Street in the pre-dawn hours as emergency personnel stood by with stretchers. Firefighters accessed the underground fire through an emergency exit. “We had to go through an emergency exit to extinguish the fire, that was the closest option to us,” an FDNY official said at the scene.
Widespread Service Suspensions Across Three Operators
Amtrak halted all rail service between New York and New Jersey at 1:25 a.m. and warned of reduced service north and east of the city. Trains to and from destinations including Philadelphia and Washington D.C. were also suspended, with full restoration not expected until Friday afternoon. Amtrak issued a travel advisory stating that trains traveling through the New York area may experience delays of up to approximately one hour due to reduced tunnel capacity. The agency confirmed it is offering rebooking opportunities and refunds to affected ticket holders.
NJ Transit suspended rail service between Penn Station New York and Newark Penn Station, with additional cancellations and delays across its network. Midtown Direct service was diverted to Hoboken. NJ Transit began cross-honoring rail tickets on private carrier bus services and PATH trains at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street. The LIRR suspended Penn Station service in both directions in the immediate aftermath, diverting some trains to Grand Central Terminal, before restoring full service by around 7 a.m., with some residual equipment-related cancellations.
The disruption drew immediate reaction from affected passengers. One NJ Transit commuter, speaking to ABC News, described the moment the fire struck: “Someone yelled there was a fire on the track … there was a very loud explosion that shook the train and caused the lights to go out. We didn’t move for maybe 8 to 10 minutes.” The same passenger added: “I rely on NJ Transit to get to work, so I am now deeply concerned about how I will commute safely moving forward.”
The incident follows a separate track fire inside Penn Station approximately two weeks earlier that caused comparable disruptions to Amtrak, NJ Transit, and LIRR services. Amtrak said it is investigating the cause of the latest fire.
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock.com
