(rshsdepot) Portal Drawbridge (former PRR), Secaucus, NJ

[jdent1_@_optonline.net]

May 13, 2005 7:48 am US/Eastern
KEARNY (AP) A New Jersey railroad bridge fire and the collapse of a highway retaining wall in Manhattan created a Friday-the-13th hassle 
for thousands of commuters.

NJ Transit expects rail service to operate most trains on close to normal schedules this afternoon, with scattered delays possible, as trains continue traveling slowly over the fire-damaged Portal Drawbridge. Midtown Direct service will continue into and out of Hoboken, while all other lines will offer normal weekday service.

NJ Transit Executive Director George D. Warrington said that the Friday-morning operating plan worked well to minimize delays for the greatest number of customers possible and to keep trains moving. He thanked commuters for their patience and rail employees for their efforts.

The Thursday night fire damaged a railroad bridge used by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains to cross the Hackensack River. The bridge was deemed structurally sound, but signals were damaged and trains on Friday had to go over it at about 5 mph.

Amtrak said it planned to operate most trains between New York City and Washington, but delays of up to 15 minutes are expected to last through the weekend. Amtrak canceled six morning trains out of about 90 that were scheduled, and spokesman Cliff Black said that it may be Monday before workers repair damage done to signals by the fire. 

About 42,500 people use NJ Transit trains during rush hour each weekday. Trains were canceled on two lines, and others were diverted. Buses and the PATH train system, which connects Newark and New York along a different route, were honoring NJ Transit tickets. The result was PATH rail cars packed with passengers, and many left behind waiting for the next trains to arrive.

Friday morning, passengers crowded platforms at Newark's Penn Station while transit workers with megaphones instructed crowds.

"I just want to get home and get some sleep,'' said bleary-eyed Lamar Stevens, who was still trying to find a way home to Iselin, N.J., more than two hours after finishing his overnight shift in Manhattan.

In upper Manhattan, the three northbound lanes of the six-lane Henry Hudson Parkway, also called Route 9A, remained closed from 178th to 183rd streets. Riverside Drive, which is parallel to the parkway, also was closed. Motorists used Broadway or the Bronx River Parkway as alternate routes.

But traffic in the area was unusually light on Friday -- a far cry from Thursday evening's rush-hour havoc.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1143
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org