'Don't really know what to do.' Fire at New York substation shuts down Amtrak services to New Haven, causing confusion

Riders traveling from New York to New Haven were advised to use Metro-North service line instead.

Justin DeVellis

Nov 13, 2024, 1:35 PM

Updated 14 hr ago

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A massive fire in Parkchester, New York resulted in Amtrak suspending all rail service between New York Penn Station and New Haven Tuesday night, leaving rail riders frustrated and confused.
"Nobody is really giving me an accurate answer," says Richard Allbright, of Brooklyn. "It’s frustrating because I’m trying to get back to New York and I’ve never really taken this train, so I don’t really know what to do."
A spokesperson for Con Edison said a high-voltage feeder cable caught fire at a substation in Parkchester, New York.
The FDNY says it extinguished multiple different fires within a quarter mile of each other.
“We’re not sure if brush fire was the cause," Chief Kevin Woods says. "We haven’t had rain for quite a while, and there’s been more brush fires in the past 11 days than we’ve had in any previous month in over two years."
Tuesday night coverage
Amtrak tickets were honored at Grand Central and on Metro-North trains.
“Usually, New Yorkers, we’re impatient," says Nicole Reid, of Brooklyn. "A fire happened. It’s nobody’s fault, but we just have to wait it out."
Fire officials say no one was injured as a result of the fire.