New Jersey lawmakers are calling on the Department of Transportation to launch an investigation into Amtrak over long delays that have plagued the Northeast Corridor in recent weeks.
Representatives Mikie Sherrill (DN.J.) and Rob Menendez (DN.J.) led the New Jersey Congressional delegation when sending a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday, who called for an investigation into the delays. They wrote that they “were shocked and deeply concerned” by the delays, calling them “completely unacceptable.”
“Therefore, we urge the Department of Transportation to conduct a full investigation into what led to the damage along the Northeast Corridor route and what additional capital projects need to be completed to correct any structural deficiencies,” the lawmakers wrote.
The group of lawmakers wrote that their offices were inundated with comments from their constituents about the “dramatic delays” on their Amtrak and NJ Transit commutes. The letter cited an incident that occurred last Thursday when Amtrak service was suspended between New Haven, Connecticut, and Philadelphia due to power outages.
The suspension wreaked havoc for overnight commuters using NJ Transit and Amtrak last Thursday, with many reporting it took them hours to get home. Lawmakers said more than 130 NJ Transit trains were canceled or delayed as a result.
Delays continued into Friday morning due to a disabled commuter train.
Lawmakers noted that these recent delays were “not isolated incidents,” saying Amtrak outages have caused at least 19 “severe delays” for NJ Transit riders over the past six weeks. They noted that NJ Transit is “just a tenant” on the Northeast Corridor, adding that Amtrak owns and maintains the route.
They are also asking the department to provide more information about how it and Amtrak will respond to train disruptions due to excessive heat. Amtrak warned earlier this week that high temperatures in the Northeast could cause delays.
Rep. Andy Kim (DN.J.), one of the lawmakers who signed the letter, posted a photo on the social media platform trains late.
“I arrived in New York tonight to meet with SEIU 1199 workers and this was the mess when I got back to Penn Station. Absolutely unacceptable for all NJ workers trying to return home,” he he wrote.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Transportation and Amtrak for comment.
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