Fire in Hudson tunnel injures five, stops Penn service

A fire aboard an Amtrak maintenance train car in a tunnel near New York's Penn Station early Friday morning injured five people and caused widespread cancellations and delays across multiple rail services, disrupting the morning commute for tens of thousands. The incident occurred just after 1:30 a.m. on Track 11 in the West Side Rail Yard, involving a contractor's vehicle operating in one of the Hudson River tunnels.

The New York City Fire Department responded with approximately 100 personnel, confronting heavy smoke and high heat in the confined tunnel space. The fire was declared under control by 4:05 a.m. Officials reported that five individuals, believed to be railroad workers, were injured. Two were transported to a hospital with serious injuries, while three others were treated at the scene.

The blaze caused significant damage to overhead electrical wires, a critical component for train operations. As a result, Amtrak suspended all service into and out of Penn Station until at least noon, warning of lengthy delays for trains traveling north of New York. New Jersey Transit suspended service between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station, with impacts expected to...