NJ Transit delays, crashes at Lincoln Tunnel cause commuting nightmare Tuesday morning

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Tuesday turned out to be one of those days New Jersey rail commuters would like to forget. Trains heading into and out of New York Penn Station were suspended for a time Tuesday morning. For some commuters, the trip to work became an upsetting and traumatic experience. One of those riders was Mallory Craig-Karim. She was on board the 8:15 a.m. Northeast Corridor train from New Brunswick to New York Penn when the power went out. At that moment, the train was in the Hudson River tunnel. “It felt like 100 degrees. People are sweating, laying on the floor, sitting, trying to catch their breath, having panic attacks,” she says. For 1 hour and 45 minutes, she says passengers were stranded with no answers and no way to call or text anyone. She says it didn’t help that tomorrow is the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Craig-Karim says many aboard the train were concerned that something catastrophic happened. “My mental health is truly suffering to struggle with that sort of claustrophobia, with no power, with no communication,” she says. New Jersey Transit says the delays were caused by Amtrak power issues. Specifically, the stall was due to failing overhead wires in the Hudson River tunnel which was a cause of major delays throughout the summer. That issue also created delays for those waiting to board trains at Secaucus Junction. One of the regular commuters from that station is Keira Wesley. She saw the crowds and having been through this before, turned around and decided to work from home. She says it just wasn’t worth the stress. “By the time you get to work, you’re frustrated. You’re not going to get a lot done,” Wesley says. “I can do a lot better with my employer if I have a better head on my shoulders.” For those driving into New York City Tuesday morning, it wasn’t much better. Crashes inside and outside of the Lincoln Tunnel created major delays for those in cars and buses. "