Penn Station 'Summer Of Hell' No Big Deal: Commuters And Head Of LIRR Report Easy Rides

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NEW YORK CITY, NY – After a shockingly smooth first ride into and out of Penn Station Monday, commuters facing the "Summer of Hell" said the expected chaos was no big deal.

Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit service to Penn Station was cut by about 20 percent starting on Monday for eight weeks of repairs to Penn Station’s tracks, with many schedule changes and diversions.

But as of Monday evening, the widely expected transit disaster hadn't materialized – with some saying the commute had actually been better than it had been for several weeks, when speed restrictions put in place at Penn Station caused major congestion.

"So far it's better service than we had last week," said Steph Gordon, 44, who commuted into the city from Maplewood, New Jersey.

Megan Back, 30, a project manager, came from Rahway to Penn Station via NJ Transit's New Jersey Coast line.

"It was fine. Everything was on time," she said. "It was actually better than it has been the last couple of months. It's too good to be true, so hopefully things stay the way they are."

LIRR had put an extra 36 cars in service, with NJ Transit also adding space and PATH increasing service to ferry passengers in Hoboken into the city. You can find our guide to all the service changes here.

"It's been a great day for the Long Island Railroad," MTA chief Joe Lhota said Monday evening. He reported no problems at all. "Everything seemed to go right."

He said 7,000 of the railroad's passengers disembarked instead at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, with another 3,000 going to Hunter's Point in Queens.

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A series of train derailments at Penn Station – the most recent of them on July 6 – prompted Amtrak to speed up its schedule of repairs at the transit hub, originally planned to be carried out over several years.

The fixes will focus on the station’s 40-year-old tracks, faulty switches and other problems at an area of Penn Station called “A Interlocking,” the intersection for trains from both Hudson River tunnels and from LIRR’s West Side Yard.

"Today's just the first day, right? said Marta Torres, 47, a health care supervisor took the LIRR from Huntington. "Let's see what tomorrow will bring."

Just click on your line to see the most up-to-date timetables the rail roads have provided.

Here's what you need to know:

Amtrak Service Changes

• Acela Express, which runs between Boston and Washington D.C.
  • No service changes
• Empire, which runs between Albany-Rensselaer and Penn Station
  • Six trains will run to and depart from Grand Central Terminal
  • One weekend train will depart from Penn each day
• Crescent, which runs between New York City and New Orleans

• Two Friday trains have been canceled
• Service will terminate and commence in Washington DC
• Keystone, which runs between Harrisburg, PA, and Penn Station
  • Six trains will start and end in Philadelphia
  • Two trains will run between Harrisburg and Newark.
  • Service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg will not be changed
• Northeast Regional, which runs between Washington, D.C. and Boston
  • Six trains that run between New York City and Washington, DC have been cancelled
  • Service between New York and Boston will not be changed

New Jersey Transit Service Changes

• Atlantic City
  • No service changes
• Main/Bergen County,
  • Minor changes
• Montclair-Boonton
  • No service changes
• Morris and Essex
  • Midtown Direct trains from Dover and Gladstone that arrive after 7 a.m. will operate to Hoboken, where passengers can transfer to PATH trains or New York Waterway ferries
  • Midtown Direct trains from Montclair will continue to operate to New York.
  • Midtown Direct trains will continue to operate between Dover and New York on weekends.
• Northeast Corridor
  • Minor Changes
• North Jersey Coast Line
  • The North Jersey Coast Line trains that normally would go to Hoboken will terminate at Newark, where commuters will have to switch to a train to Secaucus and then to Hoboken.
• Pascack Valley
  • Minor changes
• Raritan Valley
  • Minor changes

Supplemental Service at Hoboken Terminal: New York Waterway will provide ferry service between Hoboken and W. 39th Street in Midtown and PATH will add extra cars to its Hoboken trains to accommodate about 7,000 more passengers.

Long Island Rail Road Service Changes

• Babylon Branch
  • An extra train will arrive at Penn Station before morning rush hour
  • Four morning trains to Penn Station will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal, one will terminate at Jamaica and one will be cancelled
  • An extra train will depart from Penn Station before evening rush hour
  • Three evening trains from Penn Station are cancelled
• Far Rockaway Branch:
  • One morning train will terminate at Jamaica
  • One evening train from Penn Station will originate at Atlantic Terminal, two will originate at Jamaica
  • One extra train will depart from Penn Station after evening rush hour
• Hempstead Branch:
  • An extra train will arrive at Atlantic Terminal before morning rush hour.
  • Two morning train to Penn Station will terminate at Jamaica
  • Two evening trains from Penn Station will originate at Atlantic Terminal and two will originate at Jamaica
  • An extra train will depart from Penn Station after evening rush hour
• Long Beach Branch
  • One morning train to Penn Station will be rerouted to Hunterspoint Avenue
• Montauk Branch
  • Minor schedule change
• Port Jefferson Branch
  • One morning train to Penn Station will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal
  • One evening train from Penn Station is cancelled
• Port Washington Branch
  • One extra train will arrive at Penn Station before morning rush hour
  • One morning train to Penn Station is cancelled
  • One extra train will depart from Penn Station before evening rush hour
  • Three evening trains from Penn Station will originate at Hunterspoint Avenue and two others are cancelled
• Ronkonkoma Branch
  • One extra train will arrive at Penn Station before morning rush hour
  • One morning train to Penn Station will terminate in Jamaica
• West Hempstead Branch
  • One morning train to Penn Station will be rerouted to Hunterspoint Avenue

Supplemental Service: All LIRR trains will get at least two extra cars to accommodate extra passengers. The MTA will provide ferry service to West 34th Street fromLong Island City and from Glen Cove, eight new park-and-ride bus routes in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and free subway transfers and discounts to all LIRR ticket-holders.

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Lead image by Kathleen Culliton