Metro-North and Amtrak Experience Significant Delays Due to Power Line Failure in Connecticut
Commuters in New York and Connecticut faced significant delays on Friday following a substantial service disruption that occurred the previous evening. An outage affecting the overhead catenary power lines disrupted operations for both Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad, leading to widespread delays and potential cancellations that were expected to persist into the busy afternoon rush hour.
The incident first unfolded at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday when a pantograph, the device used by trains to collect power from overhead wires, snagged on the electrical wire east of Westport, Connecticut, near Southport. This malfunction caused a power failure across all four tracks, halting service on Metro-North’s New Haven Line and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. The power outage left Metro-North train 1577, along with two additional trains—one from Metro-North and another from Amtrak—stranded.
Passengers aboard the stalled Metro-North train were evacuated and transferred to other trains equipped with diesel locomotives to ensure their safe passage. In response to the incident, crews from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) worked diligently through the night to address the issues. By Friday morning, service had been restored on two tracks, according to an Amtrak spokesperson.
The first Metro-North train of the day, train 1188, which operates from New Haven to New York City, departed approximately 15 minutes later than scheduled and did not stop at all intended stations. Residual delays continued to affect the morning commute, with many services reporting delays of around 15 minutes.
Amtrak further reported ongoing heavy rail congestion as repair work continued following the electrical outage. A statement from the federal railway indicated that train services between Stamford and New Haven were being impacted due to the fault in the electrical system, contributing to speed restrictions and significant congestion in the area. The rail operator reported that their maintenance teams were actively working to restore normal service.
As the investigation into the cause of the outage is ongoing, commuters are advised to expect continued delays and to plan accordingly for their travels on affected routes through the region.
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